Patent ID: 8859790

Claim:
A process for the manufacture of an epoxide, comprising: a) adding an oxidant, a water-soluble manganese complex, and a terminal olefin to form a multiphasic reaction mixture comprising at least one organic phase and an aqueous phase, wherein the water-soluble manganese complex is a mononuclear species of the general formula (I): [LMnX 3 ]Y (I) or a binuclear species of the general formula (II): [LMn(μ−X) 3 MnL](Y) n (II) wherein Mn is a manganese; L or each L independently is a polydentate ligand, each X independently is a coordinating species and each μ−X independently is a bridging coordinating species, and wherein Y is a non-coordinating counter ion; b) reacting the terminal olefin with the oxidant in the multiphasic reaction mixture having at least one organic phase in the presence of the water-soluble manganese complex; c) separating the at least one organic phase and the aqueous phase, wherein the aqueous phase comprises the water-soluble manganese complex; and d) reusing at least part of the aqueous phase.