Combining AlCl3·6H2O and an ionic liquid to prepare chlorohydrin esters from glycerol

We describe here the first example in which glycerol has been transformed into chlorohydrin esters using an ionic liquid and hydrated aluminium chloride. The method avoids using Crown-18 ether, which was needed to obtain a similar yield when KCl was used. Alkyl and aryl acids can be used, although yields are very dependent on the carboxylic acid used.     

A tandem Finkelstein-rearrangement-elimination reaction: a straightforward synthetic route to allyl esters

Allyl esters can be obtained by a Finkelstein-rearrangement-elimination reaction of 2-chloro-1-(chloromethyl)ethyl esters induced by NaI. Sodium iodide can be used below equivalence using a reductive agent as sodium thiosulfate. High yields are obtained with most of the diverse esters studied. The method described avoids the use of allyl alcohol as a reagent. 2-Chloro-1-(chloromethyl)ethyl esters are prepared from glycerol, the main by-product of biodiesel industry. The effectiveness of iodine as reagent to hydrolyze allyl esters is also confirmed.     

N-arylation of indoles with aryl halides using copper/glycerol as a mild and highly efficient recyclable catalytic system

A simple, efficient, and inexpensive copper catalyzed protocol has been developed for cross-coupling of indoles with aryl halides by using glycerol as a green recyclable solvent and DMSO as an additive. The reaction was carried out at low catalyst loading furnishing various N-aryl indoles in good to excellent yield. This copper/glycerol mixture was recycled up to four runs without any loss in its catalytic activity.