Silver Cyanide Powder‐Catalyzed Selective Epoxidation of Cyclohexene and Styrene with its Surface Activation by H2O2(aq) and Assisted by CH3CN as a Non‐Innocent Solvent

Abstract

AbstractWe undertake silver cyanide (AgCN) powder for its catalytic epoxidation of cyclohexene or styrene in CH3CN with variable substrate‐to‐solvent volume ratios using H2O2(aq) at 60 °C. The reaction mixtures can facilely separate into organic and aqueous layers. Cyclohexene oxide can be produced in the organic layer with 100 % selectivity from the substrate cyclohexene, while styrene oxide was identified with 80 % selectivity against benzaldehyde in styrene oxidation. After reactions, we can recycle the AgCN particles with comparable bulk property clarified via XRD, XPS, XAS, FT‐IR, and 13C‐SS NMR spectroscopy. Using H218O2 as the oxidant, both epoxide products and acetamide are highly enriched with 18O‐atom, indicating that the π bond‐activation is essential for forming the cyclohexene/styrene oxides in the organic and acetamide in the aqueous layers. The oxidation of cyclohexene/styrene catalyzed by AgCN powder through surface activation by H2O2(aq) and assisted by the non‐innocent CH3CN‐originated acetamide can achieve highly selective π‐bond activation with high reactivity.