Several achiral Mn(III) salen complexes with different groups in the diimine bridge and in the aldehyde fragment were synthesised and their catalytic activity in the epoxidation of styrene was studied at room temperature, using two oxygen sources, NaOCl or PhIO, and in two solvents, CH₃CN and CH₂Cl₂.

These manganese(III) salen complexes present high chemoselectivities as homogeneous catalysts in the epoxidation of styrene, using either iodosylbenzene or sodium hypochlorite as oxygen sources. In general, when iodosylbenzene is used as oxidant higher styrene epoxide yields and lower yields of by-products, other than benzaldehyde, are obtained than with aqueous sodium hypochlorite solutions. It was possible to tune the catalytic activities of “[Mn(salen)X]” complexes by introduction of substituents in the diimine bridge and in the aldehyde fragment. The presence of bulky substituents in the diimine bridge always increases the catalytic activity of these complexes, regardless of the oxidant, an indication of steric tuning. However, the electronic tuning of the catalytic activity by introducing substituents in the 5 and 3 positions of the aldehyde fragment has different effects depending on the oxygen source. For the one-phase system resulting from the use of PhIO, electron withdrawing groups increase (electron donating groups decrease) the catalytic activity of the complexes, which probably results from destabilisation (stabilisation) of [OMn(V)(salen)X], the identified active species making them more (less) reactive. However, when NaOCl is used, the observed behaviour is the opposite: electron donating groups make the complexes better catalysts. The apparent similarity between the solubility of the complexes in the organic solvent and their catalytic activity seems to suggest that solubility must play a key role in their activity.