Highly efficient isobutyraldehyde-mediated epoxidation of cyclic alkenes with dioxygen catalyzed by a novel dimeric manganese(II) complex containing an easy-to-prepare flexible carboxamide ligand.

Dioxygen epoxidation of cyclic alkenes into their corresponding epoxides was successfully achieved in good yield by using a novel binuclear manganese carboxamide complex as the catalyst and isobutyraldehyde as the cosubstrate.