The stereoselective route to the title insect hormones (JH-1 & JH-2) depends crucially on the epoxidation of allylic alcohols with t-butyl hydroperoxide in the presence of oxobis (2, 4- pentanedionato-O, O′) vanadium (IV). The oxidation of 2-methyl-1-hepten-3-ol exclusively produces the (2R*, 3S*) isomerofthe diastereomeric epoxy alcohols. This is converted into (Z)-6-methyl-5-undecene by the sequence involving oxirane reaction with lithium ...