The synthesis of styrene oxides bearing potential leaving groups as a substituents was attempted via peracid epoxidat ion of the corresponding olefins. Such epoxides were sought as potential photometric substrates for epoxide hydrase. Peratid epoxidations of a-chloro-, a- trimethylsilyloxy-, a-ethoxy-, or a-bromostyrene, as well as a-bromo-or a-(tert-buty1) dimethylsilyloxy-p-nitrostyrene, lead only to oxidized rehrranged products; their epoxides ...