High yielding preparation of structurally different thiiranes,P-amino alcohols and bis(beta-amino) alcohols from the reaction of epoxides with thiourea and amines in the presence of catalytic amounts of aluminum tris (dodecyl sulfate) trihydrate AI(DS)(3).3H(2)O as a Lewis acid-surfactant-combined catalyst at room temperature in water has been described. Ring opening of epoxides with arnmes in the presence of this catalyst proceeded with high chemo- and regioselectivity. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.