Applications
It is used in organic chemistry as a reagent in the epoxidation of allylic alcohols in combination with tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP). The VO(acac)2-TBHP system exclusively epoxidizes geraniol at the allylic alcohol position. For comparison, another epoxidizing agent m-CPBA, reacts with both groups, creating the products in a two to one ratio, favoring the allylic position away from the alcohol. TBHP oxidizes VO(acac)2 to a vanadium(V) species which coordinates the alcohol of the substrate and the hydroperoxide.
Read more about this topic: Vanadyl Acetylacetonate