Hydrolytic kinetic resolution of mono- and bisepoxides as a key step in the synthesis of insect pheromonesElectronic supplementary information (ESI) available: references describing previous syntheses of insect pheromones, an illustrative procedure for HKR of a bisepoxide and a comparison between asymmetric dihydroxylation (of an alkene) and HKR (of the corresponding epoxide). See http://www.rsc.org/suppdata/cc/b1/b102181h/

Abstract

The synthetic utility of the readily separated epoxides, diols, epoxydiols and tetrols of high enantiomeric excesses, obtained by hydrolytic kinetic resolution (HKR) of functionalised mono- and bisepoxides with (salen)Co(OAc) complexes, is demonstrated by their efficient transformations to important insect pheromones.