Epoxides are an important class of compounds in organic synthesis, because nucleophilic ring opening takes place easily in an SN2 pathway with inversion of configuration at the reacting carbon center. The driving force of the high reactivity is the inherent strain of the three-membered heterocycle.
What are the industrial applications of epoxides?
Applications of Epoxide
It is used as a fumigant and in order to make antifreeze, ethylene glycol and various other useful compounds. As we know that more complicated epoxides are generally made up by the epoxidation of alkenes. This takes place by the common usage of peroxy acid in order to transfer an atom of oxygen.
Why epoxides are more reactive intermediates?
Epoxides are much more reactive than simple ethers due to ring strain. Nucleophiles attack the electrophilic C of the C-O bond causing it to break, resulting in ring opening. Opening the ring relieves the ring strain.
