The Yb-BINOL-complex-catalyzed enantioselective epoxidation of alpha,beta-unsaturated ketones (enones) was greatly improved by addition of a small amount of water (ca. 5 equiv to Yb). Optimized conditions and a plausible mechanism of the role of water and molecular sieves in asymmetric epoxidation are also described. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.