Cyclohexanones derived from dihydrocarvone as precursor of chiral dioxiranes for epoxidation of olefins

New ketones having an axial a-fluorine atom and substituents other than fluorine at C8, derived from commercially available (+)-dihydrocarvone, have been prepared and used for epoxidations of trans stilbene, trans methyl p-methoxy cinnamate, trans cinnamyl alcohol and derivatives. It was found that replacement of the H at C8 by a substituent containing an oxygen atom increases the enantioselectivities in all cases. It was also shown that protic substituents (hydroxyl groups) provide a decrease in enantioselectivity in the case of cinnamates probably because of H-bonding dioxirane-substrate. It is noted that the absolute configurations of the various epoxides obtained hold with the usual model involving a spiro-approach on the dioxirane conformation C1 having the a-fluorine axial. Moreover, sub-stoichiometric amounts (0.3 equiv) of ketone can be used in all cases as these ketones do not undergo Baeyer-Villiger oxidation and are recovered. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.