Hypervalent Iodine(III)-Catalyzed Epoxidation of β-Cyanostyrenes

A convenient approach for the synthesis of β-cyanoepoxides is illustrated by iodine(III)-catalyzed epoxidation of electron-deficient β-cyanostyrenes, wherein the active catalytic iodine(III) species was generated in situ. The epoxidation of β-cyanostyrenes was performed using 10 mol% PhI as precatalyst in the presence of 2.0 equivalents Oxone as an oxidant and 2.4 equivalents of TFA as an additive at room temperature under ultrasonic radiations. The β-cyanoepoxides were isolated in good to excellent yields in a short reaction time.