High Yield Regioselective Ring Opening of Epoxides Using Samarium Chloride Hexahydrate.

Abstract Epoxides were converted to the corresponding β-azidohydrins and β-iodohydrins using SmCl3·6H2O/NaN3 in DMF and SmCl3·6H2O/NaI in acetonitrile respectively. The reactions were highly regioselective, efficient, and gave excellent yields under mild and neutral conditions.