Stereochemistry of copper- and nickel-catalyzed insertion of carbon dioxide into epoxides. A microwave study

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0040-4039(00)71172-5

Reaction of trans-1,2-dideuterioethene oxide (1) with carbon dioxide, using copper and nickel catalysts, and subsequent analysis of the product ethene carbonate-d₂ (2) by microwave spectroscopy, shows that the copper-catalyzed reaction is stereo-specific (retention) whereas the nickel-catalyzed reaction is non-stereospecific.