Bifunctional Photocatalysts for Asymmetric Epoxidation of Chalcones

Abstract

Chiral epoxides are valuable intermediates widely used in pharmaceutical synthesis and functional materials. In this work, herein, we designed and developed a bifunctional chiral catalyst by grafting a photosensitizing unit onto chiral iron complexes of (R,R)−3,4‐diaminopyrrolidine‐derived N4 ligands. Employing molecular oxygen or air as a green oxidant and visible light as the driving force, this catalytic system successfully achieved asymmetric epoxidation of chalcones, furnishing the desired epoxides in high yields with excellent enantiopurity.