Optically active copper (II)-tris (oxazoline) complex that was synthesized as a model compound of the active site of non-heme oxygenase, was found to catalyze allylic oxidation of cycloalkenes to give the corresponding 2-cycloalkenyl benzoates with moderate to excellent enantioselectivity (up to 93% ee) under the Kharash-Sosnovsky reaction conditions.
