Tuning Activity and Stability: Non-Heme Iron N -heterocyclic Carbene Complexes in the Catalytic Epoxidation of Olefins

Iron NHC complexes represent promising alternatives as catalysts in the epoxidation of olefins. Several novel complexes were evaluated with regard to their catalytic performance in order to elucidate structure-reactivity relationships. In-depth studies of the influence of various acidic additives revealed promising results in catalyst activity promotion and degradation circumvention. Furthermore, targeted ligand modification gave rise to substantial stability improvements in combination with superior performance in the epoxidation of more intricate substrates.