Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 6, 2026

Enzymatic Synthesis of Epoxidized Metabolites of Docosahexaenoic, Eicosapentaenoic, and Arachidonic Acids
Published on: June 28, 2019
Computational modeling of a stereoselective epoxidation: reaction of carene with peroxyformic acid
Stephanie M Koskowich1, Winslow C Johnson, Robert S Paley
1Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Swarthmore College, 500 College Avenue, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania 19081, USA.
Abstract:
Electronic structure theory was used to model the epoxidation of 3-carene by peroxyformic acid. Reactants, products, and transition states were optimized at the B3LYP/6-31G* level of theory, followed by B3LYP/6-311+G** and MP2/6-311+G** single point calculations. The reaction pathway yielding the trans-epoxide product was found to have a significantly lower reaction barrier (7.8 kcal/mol) than that leading to the cis-epoxide product (9.4 kcal/mol), in agreement with expectations. Magnetic shieldings of the two isomeric carene epoxides were also calculated, using the GIAO method, and compared to experimental (1)H and (13)C NMR spectra. Although the calculated carbon spectra proved inconclusive, the proton shieldings calculated for the trans-epoxide correlated much more closely to the experimental values for the major epoxidation product than did the shieldings calculated for the cis-epoxide, serving to verify the identity of the major product.
Related Concept Videos
Preparation of Epoxides
Epoxides result from alkene oxidation, which can be achieved by a) air, b) peroxy acids, c) hypochlorous acids, and d) halohydrin cyclization.
Epoxidation with Peroxy Acids
Epoxidation of alkenes via oxidation with peroxy acids involves the conversion of a carbon–carbon double bond to an epoxide using the oxidizing agent meta-chloroperoxybenzoic acid, commonly known as MCPBA. Since the O–O bond of peroxy acids is very weak, the addition of electrophilic oxygen of peroxy acids to...
Acid-Catalyzed Ring-Opening of Epoxides
Oxidation of Alkenes: Anti Dihydroxylation with Peroxy Acids
Sharpless Epoxidation
Base-Catalyzed Ring-Opening of Epoxides
Diels–Alder Reaction Forming Cyclic Products: Stereochemistry

