Iron(III) trifluoroacetate [Fe(O2CCF3)3] catalyzed epoxide opening with amines

Non-hygroscopic, non-toxic, and readily available iron(III) trifluoroacetate [Fe(O2CCF3)(3)] was found to be a highly regioselective catalyst for the ring opening of a wide variety of epoxides with diverse amines under solvent-free conditions. The stereospecific ring opening of (R)-styrene oxide (4) with p-anisidine (2b) in the presence of 1 mol% of Fe(O2CCF3)(3) gave 2-(p-methoxyphenyl-amino)-2-phenylethanol (5b) in enantiopure form (> 99 % ee) within 60 minutes.Publisher's Versio