Toward Environmentally Benign Electrophilic Chlorinations: From Chloroperoxidase to Bioinspired Isoporphyrins.

Recent desires to develop environmentally benign procedures for electrophilic chlorinations have encouraged researchers to take inspiration from nature. In particular, the enzyme chloroperoxidase (CPO), which is capable of electrophilic chlorinations through the umpolung of chloride by oxidation with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), has received lots of attention. CPO itself is unsuitable for industrial use because of its tendency to decompose in the presence of excess H2O2. Biomimetic complexes (CPO active-site mimics) were then developed and have been shown to successfully catalyze electrophilic chlorinations but are too synthetically demanding to be economically viable. Reported efforts at generating the putative active chlorinating agent of CPO (an iron hypochlorite species) via the umpolung of chloride and using simple meso-substituted iron porphyrins were unsuccessful. Instead, a meso-chloroisoporphyrin intermediate was formed, which was shown to be equally capable of performing electrophilic chlorinations. The current developments toward a potential method involving this novel intermediate for environmentally benign electrophilic chlorinations are discussed. Although this novel pathway no longer follows the mechanism of CPO, it was developed from efforts to replicate its function, showing the power that drawing inspiration from nature can have.

Lewis versus Brønsted Acid Activation of a Mn(IV) Catalyst for Alkene Oxidation.

Lewis acid (LA) activation by coordination to metal oxido species has emerged as a new strategy in catalytic oxidations. Despite the many reports of enhancement of performance in oxidation catalysis, direct evidence for LA-catalyst interactions under catalytically relevant conditions is lacking. Here, we show, using the oxidation of alkenes with H2O2 and the catalyst [Mn2(µ-O)3(tmtacn)2](PF6)2 (1), that Lewis acids commonly used to enhance catalytic activity, e.g., Sc(OTf)3, in fact undergo hydrolysis with adventitious water to release a strong Brønsted acid. The formation of Brønsted acids in situ is demonstrated using a combination of resonance Raman, UV/vis absorption spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, isotope labeling, and DFT calculations. The involvement of Brønsted acids in LA enhanced systems shown here holds implications for the conclusions reached in regard to the relevance of direct LA-metal oxido interactions under catalytic conditions.

Metal-Catalyzed Photooxidation of Flavones in Aqueous Media.

Soluble model compounds, such as flavones, are frequently employed in initial and mechanistic studies under homogeneous conditions in the search for effective bleaching catalysts for raw cotton. The relevance of model substrates, such as morin and chrysin, and especially their reactivity with manganese catalysts [i.e. in combination with 1,4,7-triazacyclononane (tacn) based ligands] applied in raw cotton bleaching with H2O2 in alkaline solutions is examined. We show that morin, used frequently as a model, is highly sensitive to oxidation with O2, by processes catalyzed by trace metal ions, that can be accelerated photochemically, although not involve generation of 1O2. The structurally related chrysin is not susceptible to such photo-accelerated oxidation with O2. Furthermore, chrysin is oxidized by H2O2 only in the presence of a Mn-tacn based catalyst, and does not undergo oxidation with O2 as terminal oxidant. Chrysin mimics the behavior of raw cotton's chromophores in their catalyzed oxidation with H2O2, and is likely a mechanistically relevant model compound for the study of transition metal catalysts for dye bleaching catalysts under homogeneous conditions.

Identification and spectroscopic characterization of nonheme iron(III) hypochlorite intermediates.

Fe(III)-hypohalite complexes have been implicated in a wide range of important enzyme-catalyzed halogenation reactions including the biosynthesis of natural products and antibiotics and post-translational modification of proteins. The absence of spectroscopic data on such species precludes their identification. Herein, we report the generation and spectroscopic characterization of nonheme Fe(III)-hypohalite intermediates of possible relevance to iron halogenases. We show that Fe(III)-OCl polypyridylamine complexes can be sufficiently stable at room temperature to be characterized by UV/Vis absorption, resonance Raman and EPR spectroscopies, and cryo-ESIMS. DFT methods rationalize the pathways to the formation of the Fe(III)-OCl, and ultimately Fe(IV)=O, species and provide indirect evidence for a short-lived Fe(II)-OCl intermediate. The species observed and the pathways involved offer insight into and, importantly, a spectroscopic database for the investigation of iron halogenases.

Role of non-redox innocent ligand units in the oxidation of alcohols with H2O2 catalyzed by µ-oxido-diiron(III) bis-phenolato polypyridyl complexes.

Redox non-innocent ligands hold the potential to expand the redox chemistry and activity of transition metal catalysts. The impact of the additional redox chemistry of phenol ligands in oxidation catalysis is explored here in the complex µ-oxido-diiron(III) polypyridyl (1) [(L)Fe(III)(µ-O)Fe(III)(L)](ClO4)2 (where HL is 2-(((di(pyridin-2-yl)methyl) (pyridin-2-ylmethyl) amino)methyl)phenol) and its tert-butyl substituted analog 2, in which each of the Fe(III) centers is coordinated to a phenolato moiety of the ligand. Complex 1 was shown earlier to catalyse the oxidation of benzyl alcohols to aldehydes with H2O2. In particular acid was found to accelerate the reactions by removal of a lag period before catalysis initiated. Here, we use reaction monitoring with resonance Raman, UV/vis absorption and EPR spectroscopy to show that under catalytic conditions, i.e. with excess H2O2, rapid (< 5 s) loss of the phenolato moiety occurs, resulting in the formation of an N4 ligated Fe(III) complex. This N4 coordinated complex forms a Fe(III)-OOH species, which is responsible for alcohol oxidation and over time a relatively stable oxido-bridged dinuclear Fe(III) complex forms as a resting state in the catalytic system. The main role of acid in the catalysis is shown to be to facilitate the initial coordination of H2O2 by driving the formation of mononuclear complexes from 1 and 2. The data show that although the phenolato moiety imparts interesting redox properties on complex 1, it does not contribute directly to the oxidation catalysis observed with H2O2.

Activation of alkyl hydroperoxides by manganese complexes of tmtacn for initiation of radical polymerisation of alkenes.

The activation of alkyl hydroperoxides to generate radicals is a key step in the initiation of radical polymerisations in many industrial applications, not least protective coatings. Cobalt soaps (Co(ii) alkyl carboxylates) are highly effective catalysts under ambient conditions but viable alternatives based on less scarce catalysts are desirable, with especially iron and manganese catalysts showing potential. Manganese complexes of the ligand N,N',N″-trimethyl-1,4,7-triazacyclononane (tmtacn) are long established as catalysts for organic oxidations with H2O2, however their reactivity with alkyl hydroperoxides is less studied especially in apolar solvents. Here we show that this family of complexes can be employed as catalysts for the decomposition of alkyl hydroperoxides in apolar solvents such as styrene/methyl methacrylate mixtures and resins based on styrene/bisphenol-A based diglycidyl ether bismethacrylate (BADGE-MA). The progress of alkene polymerisation in crosslinking resins is followed by Raman spectroscopy to establish its dependence on the oxidation state of the manganese catalyst used, as gelation time and onset of autoacceleration are of particular interest for many applications. We show, through reaction progress monitoring with UV/vis absorption and Raman spectroscopy, that the stability of the manganese complexes in the resin mixtures has a substantial effect on curing progress and that the oxidation state of the resting state of the catalyst is most likely Mn(ii), in contrast to reactions with H2O2 as oxidant in which the oxidation state of the resting state of catalyst is Mn(iii). Manganese complexes of tmtacn are shown to be capable initiators of alkene radical polymerisations, and their rich coordination and redox chemistry means that resin curing kinetics can potentially be tuned more readily than with cobalt alkyl carboxylates.

Off-line reaction monitoring of the oxidation of alkenes in water using drop coating deposition Raman (DCDR) spectroscopy.

The application of drop coating deposition Raman (DCDR) spectroscopy to the field of reaction progress monitoring is addressed in this contribution. Although, DCDR spectroscopy has seen recent application in the study of biological fluids, its application in other areas has not yet been explored. Here we apply the technique to the catalysed oxidation of alkenes to epoxides in aqueous solutions at concentrations <10 mM. The effect of surface characteristics, background interferences, homogeneity of distribution of analytes, drying time, as well as instrumental limits of detection and calibration are discussed. We demonstrate that reproducible spectra can be obtained routinely, with relatively little variance, with short acquisition times and samples volumes of 2-10 µl and as little as 1 µg of analyte. The utility of the technique compared with online reaction monitoring by (1)H NMR and Raman spectroscopy is demonstrated in the excellent correlation between data obtained off and on-line.

A Common Active Intermediate in the Oxidation of Alkenes, Alcohols and Alkanes with H2O2 and a Mn(II)/Pyridin-2-Carboxylato Catalyst.

The mechanism and the reactive species involved in the oxidation of alkenes, and alcohols with H2O2, catalysed by an in situ prepared mixture of a MnII salt, pyridine-2-carboxylic acid and a ketone is elucidated using substrate competition experiments, kinetic isotope effect (KIE) measurements, and atom tracking with 18O labelling. The data indicate that a single reactive species engages in the oxidation of both alkenes and alcohols. The primary KIE in the oxidation of benzyl alcohols is ca. 3.5 and shows the reactive species to be selective despite a zero order dependence on substrate concentration, and the high turnover frequencies (up to 30 s-1) observed. Selective 18O labelling identifies the origin of the oxygen atoms transferred to the substrate during oxidation, and is consistent with a highly reactive, e. g., [MnV(O)(OH)] or [MnV(O)2], species rather than an alkylperoxy or hydroperoxy species.

Ligand exchange and spin state equilibria of Fe(II)(N4Py) and related complexes in aqueous media.

We report the characterization and solution chemistry of a series of Fe(II) complexes based on the pentadentate ligands N4Py (1,1-di(pyridin-2-yl)-N,N-bis(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)methanamine), MeN4Py (1,1-di(pyridin-2-yl)-N,N-bis(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)ethanamine), and the tetradentate ligand Bn-N3Py (N-benzyl-1,1-di(pyridin-2-yl)-N-(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)methanamine) ligands, i.e., [Fe(N4Py)(CH(3)CN)](ClO(4))(2) (1), [Fe(MeN4Py)(CH(3)CN)](ClO(4))(2) (2), and [Fe(Bn-N3Py)(CH(3)CN)(2)](ClO(4))(2) (3), respectively. Complexes 2 and 3 are characterized by X-ray crystallography, which indicates that they are low-spin Fe(II) complexes in the solid state. The solution properties of 1-3 are investigated using (1)H NMR, UV/vis absorption, and resonance Raman spectroscopies, cyclic voltammetry, and ESI-MS. These data confirm that in acetonitrile the complexes retain their solid-state structure, but in water immediate ligand exchange of the CH(3)CN ligand(s) for hydroxide or aqua ligands occurs with full dissociation of the polypyridyl ligand at low (<3) and high (>9) pH. pH jumping experiments confirm that over at least several minutes the ligand dissociation observed is fully reversible for complexes 1 and 2. In the pH range between 5 and 8, complexes 1 and 2 show an equilibrium between two different species. Furthermore, the aquated complexes show a spin equilibrium between low- and high-spin states with the equilibrium favoring the high-spin state for 1 but favoring the low-spin state for 2. Complex 3 forms only one species over the pH range 4-8, outside of which ligand dissociation occurs. The speciation analysis and the observation of an equilibrium between spin states in aqueous solution is proposed to be the origin of the effectiveness of complex 1 in cleaving DNA in water with (3)O(2) as terminal oxidant.

Manganese catalyzed cis-dihydroxylation of electron deficient alkenes with H(2)O(2).

A practical method for the multigram scale selective cis-dihydroxylation of electron deficient alkenes such as diethyl fumarate and N-alkyl and N-aryl-maleimides using H(2)O(2) is described. High turnovers (>1000) can be achieved with this efficient manganese based catalyst system, prepared in situ from a manganese salt, pyridine-2-carboxylic acid, a ketone and a base, under ambient conditions. Under optimized conditions, for diethyl fumarate at least 1000 turnovers could be achieved with only 1.5 equiv. of H(2)O(2) with d/l-diethyl tartrate (cis-diol product) as the sole product. For electron rich alkenes, such as cis-cyclooctene, this catalyst provides for efficient epoxidation.

Manganese catalysed asymmetric cis-dihydroxylation with H2O2.

High turnover enantioselective alkene cis-dihydroxylation is achieved with H(2)O(2) catalysed by manganese based complexes containing chiral carboxylato ligands.

H2O2 Oxidation by FeIII-OOH Intermediates and Its Effect on Catalytic Efficiency.

The oxidation of the C-H and C=C bonds of hydrocarbons with H2O2 catalyzed by non-heme iron complexes with pentadentate ligands is widely accepted as involving a reactive FeIV=O species such as [(N4Py)FeIV=O]2+ formed by homolytic cleavage of the O-O bond of an FeIII-OOH intermediate (where N4Py is 1,1-bis(pyridin-2-yl)-N,N-bis(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)methanamine). We show here that at low H2O2 concentrations the FeIV=O species formed is detectable in methanol. Furthermore, we show that the decomposition of H2O2 to water and O2 is an important competing pathway that limits efficiency in the terminal oxidant and indeed dominates reactivity except where only sub-/near-stoichiometric amounts of H2O2 are present. Although independently prepared [(N4Py)FeIV=O]2+ oxidizes stoichiometric H2O2 rapidly, the rate of formation of FeIV=O from the FeIII-OOH intermediate is too low to account for the rate of H2O2 decomposition observed under catalytic conditions. Indeed, with excess H2O2, disproportionation to O2 and H2O is due to reaction with the FeIII-OOH intermediate and thereby prevents formation of the FeIV=O species. These data rationalize that the activity of these catalysts with respect to hydrocarbon/alkene oxidation is maximized by maintaining sub-/near-stoichiometric steady-state concentrations of H2O2, which ensure that the rate of the H2O2 oxidation by the FeIII-OOH intermediate is less than the rate of the O-O bond homolysis and the subsequent reaction of the FeIV=O species with a substrate.

Applications of transition-metal catalysts to textile and wood-pulp bleaching.

From an economic perspective, textile and paper bleaching are amongst the most important oxidation processes. The removal of unwanted chromophores, be it stains on cloths or residual lignin in wood pulp, consumes more than 60 % of the world production of hydrogen peroxide. However, existing technologies have their limitations. At ambient temperature, hydrogen peroxide gives little stain bleaching and is used inefficiently. Hence the high product dosages and washing temperatures required limit its application to predominantly European markets, to the exclusion of the majority of the world's population. In paper manufacture, the use of chlorine-based oxidants results in the formation of chlorinated waste products, which show poor biodegradability. On the other hand, hydrogen peroxide requires higher temperatures, longer reaction times and is more expensive. Transition-metal catalysts offer an alternative. This review discusses the main classes of known bleach catalysts and their possible modes of action.

Identification and Spectroscopic Characterization of Nonheme Iron(III) Hypochlorite Intermediates.

FeIII-hypohalite complexes have been implicated in a wide range of important enzyme-catalyzed halogenation reactions including the biosynthesis of natural products and antibiotics and post-translational modification of proteins. The absence of spectroscopic data on such species precludes their identification. Herein, we report the generation and spectroscopic characterization of nonheme FeIII-hypohalite intermediates of possible relevance to iron halogenases. We show that FeIII-OCl polypyridylamine complexes can be sufficiently stable at room temperature to be characterized by UV/Vis absorption, resonance Raman and EPR spectroscopies, and cryo-ESIMS. DFT methods rationalize the pathways to the formation of the FeIII-OCl, and ultimately FeIV=O, species and provide indirect evidence for a short-lived FeII-OCl intermediate. The species observed and the pathways involved offer insight into and, importantly, a spectroscopic database for the investigation of iron halogenases.

Synthesis, Structure, and Characterization of a Novel Manganese(IV) Monomer, [Mn(IV)(Me(3)TACN)(OMe)(3)](PF(6)) (Me(3)TACN = N,N',N"-Trimethyl-1,4,7-triazacyclononane), and Its Activity toward Olefin Oxidation with Hydrogen Peroxide.

A novel manganese(IV) monomer, [Mn(IV)(Me(3)TACN)(OMe)(3)](PF(6)), has been synthesized in methanol by the reaction of MnCl(2) with the ligand, N,N',N"-trimethyl-1,4,7-triazacyclononane (Me(3)TACN), in the presence of Na(2)O(2). The resulting product was isolated as the red/brown crystalline hexafluorophosphate salt. The compound crystallizes in the space group P2/c with the cell dimensions a = 15.652(2) Å, b = 8.740(1) Å, c = 15.208(2) Å, beta = 108.81(1) degrees, V = 1969.4(4) Å(3), and Z = 4. The structure was solved by the heavy-atom method and was refined by full-matrix least-squares techniques to a final value of R = 0.067 (R(w) = 0.097) based upon 3087 observations. The manganese atom in the molecule is six-coordinate in an N(3)O(3) ligand environment with the triazacyclononane facially coordinated. Pertinent average bond distances and angles are as follows: Mn-O, 1.797(5) Å; Mn-N, 2.116(5) Å; O-Mn-O, 97.8(2) degrees; N-Mn-N, 81.4(2) degrees; O-Mn-N, 167.8 degrees (2); O-Mn-N, 86.8(2) degrees; O-Mn-N, 92.8(2) degrees. The complex was further characterized by UV-vis and EPR spectroscopies, solution magnetic susceptibility measurements, FAB-MS, and electrochemistry. [Mn(IV)(Me(3)TACN)(OMe)(3)](PF(6)) was found to catalyze the oxidation of water-soluble olefins using hydrogen peroxide as the oxidant in an aqueous medium. The catalyzed rates of oxidation of these olefins indicate at least a 12-fold rate enhancement over oxidant alone. The unusual stability of the catalytic species was demonstrated by the repeated additions of substrate and oxidant while maintaining a constant catalytic rate of oxidation.

Homo- and Heteronuclear Ruthenium and Osmium Complexes Containing an Asymmetric Pyrazine-Based Bridging Ligand.

The synthesis, characterization, and electrochemical, photophysical, and photochemical properties of the compounds [Ru(bpy)(2)(L)](2+) (Ru), [Os(bpy)(2)(L)](2+) (Os), [(L)Os(bpy)(2)Cl](+) (OsCl), [Ru(bpy)(2)(L)Ru(bpy)(2)Cl](3+) (RuRuCl), [Os(bpy)(2)(L)Os(bpy)(2)Cl](3+) (OsOsCl), [Ru(bpy)(2)(L)Os(bpy)(2)Cl](3+) (RuOsCl), and [Os(bpy)(2)(L)Ru(bpy)(2)Cl](3+) (OsRuCl) are reported (bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine, L = 1-methyl-3-(pyrazin-2-yl)-1,2,4-triazole). The Os(bpy)(2) and the Ru(bpy)(2) moieties are coordinated to the pyrazyltriazole ligand in two different ways, i.e. in a bidentate fashion via the triazole ring and N1 of the pyrazine ring and in a monodentate fashion only via N4 of the pyrazine ring. In the homonuclear dimers the monodentate bound metal has an oxidation potential that is approximately 400 mV lower than that of the bidentate bound metal. Spectroelectrochemical investigations suggest the presence of a weak interaction between the metal centers in the dinuclear species. The emission properties of the compounds are indicative of efficient energy transfer in the excited state, leading to emission from only one metal unit. In acetone both RuRuCl and the OsRuCl show photodissociation of the monodentate ruthenium moiety; however, RuOsCl and OsOsCl were found to be photostable.

Iron Chemistry of a Pentadentate Ligand That Generates a Metastable Fe(III)-OOH Intermediate.

In an effort to gain more insight into the factors controlling the formation of low-spin non-heme Fe(III)-peroxo intermediates in oxidation catalysis, such as activated bleomycin, we have synthesized a series of iron complexes based on the pentadentate ligand N4Py (N4Py = N,N-bis(2-pyridylmethyl)-N-(bis-2-pyridylmethyl)amine). The following complexes have been prepared: [(N4Py)Fe(II)(CH(3)CN)](ClO(4))(2) (1), [(N4Py)Fe(II)Cl](ClO(4)) (2), [(N4Py)Fe(III)OMe](ClO(4))(2) (3), and [(N4Py)(2)Fe(2)O](ClO(4))(4) (4). Complexes 1 and 2 have low- and high-spin Fe(II) centers, respectively, whereas 3 is an Fe(III) complex that undergoes a temperature-dependent spin transition. The iron centers in the oxo-bridged dimer 4 are antiferromagnetically coupled (J = -104 cm(-)(1)). Comparison of the crystal structures of 1, 3, and 4 shows that the ligand is well suited to accommodate both Fe(II) and Fe(III) in either spin state. For the high-spin Fe(III) complexes 3 and 4 the iron atoms are positioned somewhat outside of the cavity formed by the ligand, while in the case of the low-spin Fe(II) complex 1 the iron atom is retained in the middle of the cavity with approximately equal bond lengths to all nitrogen atoms from the ligand. On the basis of UV/vis and EPR observations, it is shown that 1, 3, and 4 all react with H(2)O(2) to generate the purple low-spin [(N4Py)Fe(III)OOH](2+) intermediate (6). In the case of 1, titration experiments with H(2)O(2) monitored by UV/vis and (1)H NMR reveal the formation of [(N4Py)Fe(III)OH](2+) (5) and the oxo-bridged diiron(III) dimer (4) prior to the generation of the Fe(III)-OOH species (6). Raman spectra of 6 show distinctive Raman features, particularly a nu(O-O) at 790 cm(-)(1) that is the lowest observed for any iron-peroxo species. This observation may rationalize the reactivity of low-spin Fe(III)-OOH species such as "activated bleomycin".

The role of carboxylato ligand dissociation in the oxidation of chrysin with H2O2 catalysed by [Mn2(III,IV)(µ-CH3COO)(µ-O)2(Me4dtne)](PF6)2.

The aqueous and non-aqueous chemistry of the complex [Mn2(III,IV)(µ-CH3COO)(µ-O)2(Me4dtne)](PF6)2 (where Me4dtne = 1,2-bis(4,7-dimethyl-1,4,7-triazacyclonon-1-yl)ethane), which has been demonstrated as an exceptionally active catalyst in the bleaching of raw cotton and especially wood pulp at high pH (>11), is explored by UV/vis absorption, Raman and EPR spectroscopies and cyclic voltammetry. The data indicate that dissociation of the µ-acetato bridge is essential to the catalyst activity and rationalises the effect of sequestrants such as DTPA on its performance.

The unexpected role of pyridine-2-carboxylic acid in manganese based oxidation catalysis with pyridin-2-yl based ligands.

A number of manganese-based catalysts employing ligands whose structures incorporate pyridyl groups have been reported previously to achieve both high turnover numbers and selectivity in the oxidation of alkenes and alcohols, using H(2)O(2) as terminal oxidant. Here we report our recent finding that these ligands decompose in situ to pyridine-2-carboxylic acid and its derivatives, in the presence of a manganese source, H(2)O(2) and a base. Importantly, the decomposition occurs prior to the onset of catalysed oxidation of organic substrates. It is found that the pyridine-2-carboxylic acid formed, together with a manganese source, provides for the observed catalytic activity. The degradation of this series of pyridyl ligands to pyridine-2-carboxylic acid under reaction conditions is demonstrated by (1)H NMR spectroscopy. In all cases the activity and selectivity of the manganese/pyridyl containing ligand systems are identical to that observed with the corresponding number of equivalents of pyridine-2-carboxylic acid; except that, when pyridine-2-carboxylic acid is used directly, a lag phase is not observed and the efficiency in terms of the number of equivalents of H(2)O(2) required decreases from 6-8 equiv. with the pyridin-2-yl based ligands to 1-1.5 equiv. with pyridine-2-carboxylic acid.

The role of salicylic acid, L-ascorbic acid and oxalic acid in promoting the oxidation of alkenes with H2O2 catalysed by [MnIV2(O)3(tmtacn)2]2+.

The role played by the additives salicylic acid, L-ascorbic acid and oxalic acid in promoting the catalytic activity of [MnIV2(O)3(tmtacn)2](PF6)2 (1(PF6)2, where tmtacn = N,N',N''-trimethyl-1,4,7-triazacyclononane) in the epoxidation and cis-dihydroxylation of alkenes with H2O2 and in suppressing the catalysed decomposition of H2O2 is examined. Whereas aliphatic and aromatic carboxylic acids effect enhancement of the catalytic activity of 1 through the in situ formation dinuclear carboxylato bridged complexes of the type [MnIII2(mu-O)(mu-RCO2)2(tmtacn)2]2+, for L-ascorbic acid and oxalic acid notable differences in reactivity are observed. Although for L-ascorbic acid key differences in the spectroscopic properties of the reaction mixtures are observed compared with carboxylic acids, the involvement of carboxylic acids formed in situ is apparent. For oxalic acid the situation is more complex with two distinct catalyst systems in operation; the first, which engages in epoxidation only, is dominant until the oxalic acid additive is consumed completely at which point carboxylic acids formed in situ take on the role of additives to form a second distinct catalyst system, i.e. that which was observed for alkyl and aromatic carboxylic acids, which yield both cis-diol and epoxide products.