Epoxides are versatile building blocks in the synthesis of critical medicinal intermediates and are also well known for their industrial and biochemical applications.1 Different methods have been reported for the epoxidation of α,β-unsaturated ketones (chalcones) which contain major difficulties such as low activity, long reaction time and low yields.2 Among peroxides, gem- dihydroperoxides which are stable derivatives of ketones and aldehydes have attracted much attention due to their applications in several peroxidic antimalarial drugs and acting as useful intermediates in synthesis of different peroxides such as tetraoxanes.3 Newly, these peroxides have been used as oxidants in some organic reaction.4 In continuation of our work in synthesis and application of gem-dihydroperoxides, we wish to report synthesis of Urea Acetone Peroxide (UAP) as a new, safe and inexpensive oxidant. In this work, different chalcones were converted into corresponding epoxy compounds using urea acetone peroxide, under alkaline condition at room temperature which leads to high efficiency in mild conditions (Schemes 1 and 2).
