The oxidation of limonene by aqueous TBHP has been analyzed in the presence of molybdenum complexes [MoO₂L]₂ as catalysts with five different tridentate ligands L in the absence of organic solvents (greener reaction conditions). The ligands are based on a common salicylidene amino(thio)phenolate, SA(T)P, backbone with differences in the coordination sphere (ONO for L = SAP vs. ONS for L = SATP) or in the salicyl moiety functionalization by OH groups for the ONO ligands. The process gives a regioselective endocyclic epoxidation to a kinetically controlled 1:1 mixture of the cis-LimO and trans-LimO epoxides and/or the isomeric diols ax-LimD and eq-LimD by the subsequent ring opening in the presence of water, with a product distribution that depends on the ligand, reaction time and temperature. In combination with control experiments of the cis/trans-LimO ring opening, the investigations demonstrate the catalytic action of the metal complexes in both the epoxidation and the ring opening steps, with the cis-LimO stereospecifically producing the ax-LimD product and the less reactive trans-LimO leading to a 4:3 mixture of ax-LimD and eq-LimD. The ONS system [MoO₂(SATP)]₂ exhibits the highest catalytic activity in both steps.

在不存在有机溶剂的情况下，在钼配合物[MoO ₂ L] ₂作为具有五个不同三齿配体L的催化剂的存在下，对TBHP水溶液中柠檬烯的氧化进行了分析（较绿色的反应条件）。配体基于常见的水杨基亚氨基（硫）酚盐，SA（T）P，在配位域（L = SAP的ONO与L = SATP的ONS）或通过OH基团形成的水杨基部分官能度存在差异的主链用于ONO配体。该过程提供了一个区域选择性环内的环氧化的动力学控制1：1混合物的顺式LIMO和反式-LimO环氧化物和/或同分异构的二醇斧-LimD和EQ-LimD在水的存在下通过随后的开环而形成，其产物分布取决于配体，反应时间和温度。结合顺/反-LimO开环的对照实验，研究表明金属络合物在环氧化和开环步骤中均具有催化作用，其中顺式-LimO立体定向生成ax- LimD产物，而少反应性反式-LimO导致4：3混合物AX- LimD和EQ- LimD。ONS系统[MoO ₂（SATP）] ₂在两个步骤中均表现出最高的催化活性。