This thesis describes the development of inexpensive and practical iron catalysts for the environmentally benign epoxidation of olefins with hydrogen peroxide as terminal oxidant. Investigations on ruthenium complexes derived from N,N,N-tridentate ligands together with the co-ligand pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylic acid (H2pydic) showed high catalytic activity in the epoxidation of various olefins. In order to develop an improved, environmentally benign and more economical procedure, these ruthenium catalysts were replaced by iron catalytic systems. By systematic variation of ligands, metal sources and reaction conditions, it was discovered that FeCl36H2O in combination with H2pydic and various amines as bases and co-ligands shows high reactivity and good to excellent selectivity towards epoxidation of aromatic and aliphatic olefins. Excellent results were achieved in asymmetric epoxidation by the use of chiral diphenylethylene diamine derivatives.
