Patent ID: 7723256

Claim:
A catalyst system comprising as a catalyst where R 1 is a hydrocarbon bridge which may be substituted with C 1 -C 20 alkyl, C 1 -C 20 alkoxy, halogen, nitro, cyano or amine; where R 2 , R 3 and R 4 are the same or different and are selected from the group consisting of H, C 1 -C 20 alkyl, C 6 -C 20 aryl, and C 1 -C 20 fluorocarbon and where R 1 and R 2 or R 2 and R 3 or R 3 and R 4 can form a ring which are substituted with H, C 1 -C 20 alkyl, C 6 -C 20 aryl, C 1 -C 20 alkyl, C 6 -C 20 aryl substituted with C 1 -C 20 alkyl, C 1 -C 20 alkoxy, phenoxy, C 1 -C 20 carboxylate, C 1 -C 20 acyl, amino, C 1 -C 20 fluoroalkyl, cyano, nitro and halogen; and where X is any nucleophile which can ring open an epoxide; and as a cocatalyst a salt where the salt cation has the structural formula: [R 3 P═N═PR 3 ] + where R is selected from the group consisting of C 1 -C 20 alkyl, C 6 -C 20 aryl, and a solid support, the salt anion is a nucleophile which can ring open an epoxide, and the R groups are the same or different.