The commercial Brazilian clay Bentonit Brasgel™ was characterized by chemical and textural analyses, XRD, and 27Al and 29Si MAS-NMR, that indicated the presence of alpha-quartz and smectite as clay-minerals. This natural clay proved to be an efficient catalyst for the conversion of alkenes into epoxides by the reaction with iodine/water followed by in situ addition of KOH in hexane (80-91 % yield). Similar results were obtained with Bentonit Brasgel™ intercalated with Ag(I).
epoxide; coiodination; iodohydrin; clay; alkenes
