Article
18 sectionsContents
- Nomenclature
- Synthesis
- Ethylene oxidation
- Organic peroxides and metal catalysts
- Nucleophilic epoxidation
- Transfer from peroxycarboxylic acids
- Asymmetric epoxidations
- Dehydrohalogenation and other γ eliminations
- Biosynthesis
- Hydrolysis and addition of nucleophiles
- Polymerization and oligomerization
- Metallation and deoxygenation
- Other reactions
- Uses
- Safety
- See also
- Further reading
- References
thumb|A generic epoxide
In organic chemistry, an epoxide is a cyclic ether, where the ether forms a three-atom ring: two atoms of carbon and one atom of oxygen. This triangular structure has substantial ring strain, making epoxides highly reactive, more so than other ethers. They are produced on a large scale for many applications. In general, low molecular weight epoxides are colourless and nonpolar, and often volatile.