Supramolecular Assemblies as Promoters of Iodohydrin Formation

Finding alternative reaction media to replace polluting organic solvents is one aim of green chemistry. The ultimate green solvent, water, is the cheapest, non-toxic and most readily available reaction medium: three properties which make it an environmentally and economically attractive solvent. However, a fundamental problem in performing reactions in water is that many organic substrates are hydrophobic and not soluble in water. Several approaches are possible in solubilizing these compounds in aqueous media, one of which is carrying out reactions in aqueous solutions of surfactants at concentrations above their critical micellar concentration (cmc). Reactions of iodine with cyclohexene, 1-octene and styrene in water or in the presence of cationic surfactants do not give useful amounts of iodohydrins, but reactions in anionic surfactants give good yields. Iodohydrins are important functionalizable compounds and are readily prepared in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) or sodium N-dodecanoyl sarcosinate (SANa). The critical conditions for these reactions were optimized with a rigorous statistical approach, the experimental design method. Use of these newly optimized reaction conditions gave high yields in short times for all of the alkenes examined. The use of anionic surfactants in water to form iodohydrins is a valid alternative to methods previously described.