Covalently functionalized carbon nanoparticles with a chiral Mn-Salen: a new nanocatalyst for enantioselective epoxidation of alkenes

A new protocol to obtain carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) covalently functionalized with a chiral Mn-Salen catalyst is described here. The new nanocatalyst (CNPs-Mn-Salen) was tested in the enantioselective epoxidation of some representative alkenes (CN-chromene, 1,2-dihydronaphthalene and cis--ethyl styrene), obtaining better enantiomeric excess values than that of the catalyst single molecule, highlighting the role of the nanostructure in the enantioselectivity.