Cationic ring-opening polymerization of 3,3-bis（chloromethyl）oxacyclobutane in ionic liquids

Cationic ring-opening polymerization of 3,3-bis(chloromethyl)oxacyclobutane catalyzed by BF_3·OEt_2 was carried out in ionic liquids [bmim]BF_4 and [bmim]PF_6.The influences of BCMO concentration and molar ratio of BCMO/BF_3·OEt_2 on the molecular weights and yield of PBCMO were investigated.The polymerization in ionic liquids proceed to high conversions,although molecular weights are limited,similar to polymerization in organic solvent such as CH_2Cl_2.Follow a viewpoint of green chemistry, we feel ionic liquid [bmim]BF_4 is superior to [bmim]PF_6.Extracting [bmim]PF_6 from the product using organic solvent as extractant limits its advantage as a green reaction media.     

Enzymatic polyester synthesis in ionic liquids

The enzymatic synthesis of polyesters by ring-opening polymerization (ROP) and polycondensation in three ionic liquids, i.e., [bmim][Tf₂N], [bmim][PF₆] and [bmim][BF₄] was investigated. For the enzymatic ROP of ε-caprolactone it was found that [bmim][PF₆] and [bmim][BF₄] result in an inhomogeneous reaction mixture upon polymerization, causing polymerization characteristics similar to bulk polymerization. In contrast, for [bmim][Tf₂N] characteristics similar to toluene were observed. Molecular weights of 7000-9500 g/mol were obtained. In the polycondensation of dimethyl adipate and dimethyl sebacate, respectively, with 1,4-butanol the low volatility of ionic liquids was successfully utilized to perform the reactions in an open vessel at temperatures close to the boiling point of the condensation by-product. Molecular weights up to 5400 g/mol were obtained. This, in combination with the tunable solvent hydrophilicity of ionic liquids could offer an advantage in the polymerization of highly polar monomers with low solubility in organic solvents.     

Chemoselective reduction of aromatic nitro and azo compounds in ionic liquids using zinc and ammonium salts

Nitroarenes were chemoselectively reduced to the corresponding amines using zinc and aqueous ammonium salts in ionic liquids as a safe and recyclable reaction medium. Our results specify the effect of ammonium salts in the process; the combination of Zn/NH₄Cl in [bmim][PF₆] or Zn/HCO₂NH₄ in [bmim][BF₄] were the suitable conditions for the reduction of nitroarenes. Azobenzenes were also smoothly reduced to hydrazobenzenes with Zn/HCO₂NH₄ (aq.) in recyclable [bmim][BF₄] without any over reduction to the corresponding anilines.     

[Bmim]PF6 and BF4 ionic liquids as novel and recyclable reaction media for aromatic amination

Activated aryl halides undergo smooth nucleophilic substitution reactions with secondary amines in 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([bmim]PF₆) or 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([bmim]BF₄) ionic liquids (ILs) at room temperature to afford the corresponding arylamines in excellent yields under mild and neutral conditions.     

Recyclable 2nd generation ionic liquids as green solvents for the oxidation of alcohols with hypervalent iodine reagents

Alcohols undergo smooth oxidation with iodoxybenzoic acid (IBX) or with Dess-Martin-Periodinane (DMP) in hydrophilic [bmim]BF₄ and hydrophobic [bmim]PF₆ ionic liquids at room temperature under mild conditions to afford the corresponding carbonyl compounds in excellent yields with high selectivity. IBX and DMP promoted oxidations are faster in ionic liquids when compared to conventional solvents such as DMSO, DMF, EtOAc and H₂O. The recovery of the byproduct iodosobenzoic acid (IBA) is especially simple in ionic liquids. The recovered ionic liquids can be recycled in subsequent reactions with consistent activity.     

Bicyclic imidazolium-based ionic liquids: synthesis and characterization

We previously reported the use of imidazole as starting compound for preparing a bicyclic imidazolium ionic liquid, [b-3C-im][NTf₂], with an overall 29% isolated yield in four synthetic steps. This new room temperature ionic liquid was shown to be far more chemically stable than commonly used [bmim][PF₆], [bdmim][PF₆], and [bdmim][NTf₂]. Because of this intriguing chemical stability, it prompted us to develop a more generalized and high yielding synthesis so that molecular diversity of bicyclic ionic liquids may be explored. In this work, we amended the previous synthetic route by employing 4-chlorobutyronitrile or 5-chlorovaleronitrile as starting materials and successfully developed a five-step synthesis of a series of novel bicyclic imidazolium-based ionic liquids in 40-53% overall isolated yields. We investigated intrinsic reactivity of all bicyclic ionic liquids prepared and found that, under strongly basic conditions, among all tested ionic liquids the 5,5-membered [R-3C-im][NTf₂] ionic liquids were most stable to solvent deuterium isotope exchange while the previously reported [bdmim][NTf₂] ionic liquid was 50% deuterium exchanged at its C-2 methyl in 30 min at ambient temperature. Under identical condition, the commonly used [bmim][NTf₂] ionic liquid was deuterium exchanged instantaneously at its C-2 hydrogen. In the absence of bases, only [bmim][PF₆] was deuterium exchanged (50% within 1 h) and all other ionic liquids gave no detectable exchanges even after 25 days at ambient temperature. Moreover, both [bmim][NTf₂] and [bdmim][NTf₂] ionic liquids were readily methylated at C-2 position with methyl iodide under basic condition at room temperature. Under the same condition, [R-3C-im][NTf₂] and [R-4C-im][NTf₂] ionic liquids were completely stable and chemically inert. We envisioned that [R-3C-im][NTf₂] should be well suited as solvents for organic synthesis.     

1-Butyl-3-methylimidazolium p-toluenesulfinate: a novel reagent for synthesis of sulfones and β-ketosulfones in ionic liquid

A novel task-specific ionic liquid, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium p-toluenesulfinate, [bmim][p-TolSO₂] has been synthesized and used as a nucleophile for the reaction with alkyl bromides and phenacyl bromides to prepare sulfones and β-ketosulfones in excellent yields (80-93%) in [bmim][BF₄] ionic liquid. The isolated yields of sulfones and β-ketosulfones were higher in [bmim][BF₄] than other organic solvents at room temperature.     

On the Mechanism of the Reactivity of 1,3‐Dialkylimidazolium Salts under Basic to Acidic Conditions: A Combined Kinetic and Computational Study

Comprehensive spectroscopic kinetic studies illustrate an alternative mechanism for the traditional free‐carbene intermediated H/D exchange reaction of 1,3‐dialkylimidazolium salts under neutral (D₂O) and acidic conditions (DCl/D₂O 35 wt % solution). The deuteration of high purity [bmim]Cl in D₂O is studied at different temperatures, in absence of catalyst or impurities, to yield an activation energy. DFT transition‐state modelling, of a small water cluster and [bmim] cation, also yields an activation energy which strongly supports the proposed mechanism. The presence of basic impurities are shown to significantly enhance the exchange reaction, which brings into question the need for further analysis of technical purities of ionic liquids and the implications for a wide range of chemical reactions in such media.     

Oxidation of aromatic aldehydes and ketones by H2O2/CH3ReO3 in ionic liquids: a catalytic efficient reaction to achieve dihydric phenols

A convenient and efficient application of hydrogen peroxide/methyltrioxorhenium in ionic liquids [bmim]BF₄ and [bmim]PF₆ for the oxidation of hydroxylated and methoxylated benzaldehydes and acetophenones to the corresponding phenols is described. Good yields of products were obtained in short reaction times.     

1-Butyl-2,3-trimethyleneimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([b-3C-im][NTf2]): a new, stable ionic liquid

Using imidazole as the starting material, the synthesis of a new bicyclic ionic liquid [b-3C-im][NTf₂] is described. Except for the alkylation reaction in the second step (40% yield) of this four-step synthesis of [b-3C-im][NTf₂], others were all high yielding reactions (85-94% isolated yields). We investigated intrinsic reactivity of this and other imidazolium-based ionic liquids and found that, under strongly basic conditions (KOD in CD₃OD/D₂O (1:1) solution), the new ionic liquid was stable to solvent deuterium isotope exchange while the previously reported [bdmim][NTf₂] and [bdmim][PF₆] ionic liquids were 50% deuterium exchanged at its C-2 methyl in 30 min at ambient temperature. At the same experimental condition, the most commonly employed [bmim][PF₆] ionic liquid was deuterium exchanged instantaneously at its C-2 hydrogen. In the absence of bases (CD₃OD/D₂O = 1:1), only [bmim][PF₆] was deuterium exchanged (50% within 1 h) and other ionic liquids gave no detectable exchanges even after one week at ambient temperature. It is therefore concluded that the new [b-3C-im][NTf₂] ionic liquid is far more chemically stable than previously reported [bmim][PF₆], [bdmim][NTf₂], and [bdmim][PF₆].     

Iridium-catalyzed regiospecific allylation of dimethyl malonate in ionic liquids

Allylation of dimethyl malonate with 1-(4-chlorophenyl)prop-2-enyl methyl carbonate in the presence of [Pd(All)Cl]₂, [Rh(COD)Cl]₂, [Ir(COD)Cl]₂ (COD is cycloocta-1,5-diene), and a chiral ferrocenyl-containing phosphite ligand based on (R)-BINOL (BINOL is 2,2′-dihydroxy-1,1′-binaphthyl) in CH₂Cl₂ gave a mixture of linear and branched cross-coupling products, the latter having a moderate optical purity (below 51%). The rhodium-and iridium-catalyzed reactions were very highly regioselective (regiospecific in the case of Ir), giving a branched product. In ionic liquids ([bmim][BF₄] and [bdmim][BF₄]) (bmim is 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium and bdmim is 1-butyl-2,3-dimethylimidazolium), the Ir-catalyzed reaction regiospecifically afforded a branched product as a racemate. The same result was obtained with [Ir(COD)Cl]₂ as a catalyst; this reaction easily occurred in ionic liquids even without a base. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 3, pp. 519–521, March, 2007.     

离子液体作为溶剂/催化剂用于卤代烃对胺的选择性烷基化反应

在三乙胺存在下,在离子液体([bmim]I和[bmim]PF6)中进行了各种卤代烃对胺类化合物中氨基的选择性烷基化反应.反应在相对温和的条件下进行,转化率和选择性优异.离子液体可以回收并重复使用.     

3-exo-tet Cyclization of 2,2-disubstituted 1,3-dihalopropanes with indium in aqueous and ionic liquid solvent system

The 3-exo-tet cyclization of 2,2-disubstituted 1,3-dihalopropanes with In powder in THF solution of 20% H₂O, dioxane solution of 20% H₂O, and ionic liquids, such as [bmim]Br, [bmim]Cl, and [bmin]BF₄, respectively, was efficiently carried out to form the corresponding 1,1-disubstituted cyclopropanes in good yields. The cyclopropanation of 2,2-disubstituted 1,3-dihalopropanes with In powder in ionic liquids, such as [bmim]Br, [bmim]Cl, and [bmin]BF₄, was markedly accelerated compared with that in a THF solution of 20% H₂O and a dioxane solution of 20% H₂O. The mechanism was proposed to involve the radical 3-exo-tet cyclization of the formed 3-halopropyl radical.     

Synthesis of Carbonyl Compounds from Alcohols Using Electrochemically Generated Superoxide Ions in RTILs

Abstract

We show that the superoxide ion (O₂ ^??) generated electrochemically from oxygen dissolved in room-temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) reacts with primary and secondary alcohols to form the corresponding ketones and carboxylic acids, respectively. Specifically, we study the conversion of benzhydrol to benzophenone and benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde/benzoic acid. The kinetics (e.g., rate, selectivity, and yield) for these reactions are also determined as functions of the variations in the structure of the ionic liquids. The RTILs used here are imidazolium-based cations where the functional groups on the imidazolium ring are modified. Specifically, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate [bmim][PF₆], 1-butyl-2,3-dimethylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate [bdmim][PF₆], and 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate [hmim][PF₆] are used as the reaction medium. These results are compared to an ammonium-based RTIL (N-butyl-N-trimethylammonium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide). The results show that the nucleophilic attack by the O₂ ^?? of both the RTIL and the alcohol, especially that of the H atom at the R2 position of the [bmim][PF₆] and [hmim][PF₆], greatly affects the yields. No RTIL degradation products were detected for the reactions in [bdmim][PF₆] and N-butyl-N-trimethylammonium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ionic liquids. For the benzyl alcohol oxidation reaction in the RTIL, N-butyl-N-trimethylammonium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, benzaldehyde formed did not undergo further oxidation to form benzoic acid, which may be due to the greater hydrophobicity of this RTIL. The competitive reaction kinetics between the alcohol and RTIL component must be considered in the selection of the RTIL solvent system.     

[Bmim]BF4 ionic liquid: a novel reaction medium for the synthesis of β-amino alcohols

Epoxides undergo smooth ring-opening with aryl amines in 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([bmim]BF₄) or 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([bmim]PF₆) ionic liquids under mild and neutral conditions to afford the corresponding β-amino alcohols in excellent yields with high regioselectivity.     

Ionic liquids/H2O systems for the reaction of epoxides with NaN3: a new protocol for the synthesis of 2-azidoalcohols

Oxiranes undergo ring opening rapidly with sodium azide in a [bmim]BF₄/H₂O or [bmim]PF₆/H₂O (2:1) solvent system, under mild and neutral reaction conditions to afford the corresponding 2-azidoalcohols in high to quantitative yields. The remarkable features of this procedure are improved yields, enhanced reaction rates, high regioselectivity and ease of recyclability of ionic liquids (ILs). The recovered ionic liquid can be reused for four to five times but with gradual decrease in activity.     

Quantitative High Performance Liquid Chromatography Determination of Alkanolamines in Ionic Liquid Absorbents

The development of modern absorption media suitable for CO₂ scrubbing, such as ionic liquids and their mixtures, requires appropriate analytical protocols. In this paper, the application of high-performance liquid chromatography to the determination of alkanolamine at various concentrations in ionic liquid solutions was investigated. Both hydrophilic and hydrophobic commercial ionic liquids, such as 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate [bmim][OAc], 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium octylsulfate [emim][OcSO₄], and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide [bmim][NTf₂], were studied in this paper and different sample preparation procedures were used for each class of solvent. A simple extraction step was necessary prior to HPLC analysis for hydrophobic ionic liquids. This step was performed using five times more 0.05 M KH₂PO₄ than needed for the ionic liquid sample. Hydrophilic ionic liquid solutions could be analyzed after diluting the sample with water. The general procedure involved separation at room temperature using a cation-exchange HPLC with 0.05 M KH₂PO₄ as the mobile phase and refractometric detection without derivatizing the amines. The influence of the temperature and mobile phase composition on alkanolamine retention was investigated. The relationship between the peak area and alkanolamine concentration was linear over 3 orders of magnitude (2–200 nmol). The detection limit (LOD) for monoethanolamine (MEA) and diethanolamine (DEA) was 1.5 and 2 nmol, respectively. For hydrophobic ionic liquids, which require extraction, it was possible to analyze a 0.004% MEA solution. The quantity of the sample required for analysis was 0.1 g, and the analysis time did not exceed 20 minutes.     

Kemp elimination: a probe reaction to study ionic liquids properties

The amino induced elimination of benzisoxazole into the relevant o-cyanophenolate ion (Kemp elimination) has been studied in [bmim][BF 4] solution at 298 K. To have information about the interactions between reactants and ionic liquid, the reaction has been carried out at different temperatures (293-313 K). Several primary, secondary, and tertiary amines have been used to study the effect of amine structure on the reaction rate. The collected data show that the amine structure seems to have a crucial role in determining the reaction rate. Furthermore, as different cation or anion structures of an ionic liquid can significantly affect its properties, the title reaction has been performed in four different ionic liquids ([bmim][PF6], [bmim][NTf 2], [bm 2im][NTf 2], and [bmpyrr][NTf 2]), using pyrrolidine and piperidine as model amines. An H-donor negative solvent (MeOH and [bmim][NTf 2]) effect on reaction rate was detected. Finally, a narrow range of activation parameters was calculated both for the reaction induced by different amines and for pyrrolidine and piperidine, in the presence of different ILs. This fact suggests the occurrence of an "early" transition state.     

离子液体中酮肟O-烷基化反应的研究

以[Bmim]PF6,[Bmim]BF4,[Bmim]OH为介质,以NaOH为缚酸剂,由酮肟与卤烷、硫酸酯等烷基化剂在20～40℃反应1～2h,以52%～94%的收率制备了酮肟醚衍生物,产物结构经1HNMR,GC-MS表征.结果表明,该方法简便易操作,所用离子液体对环境友好,并可循环使用.     

Molecular iodine in [bmim][BF4]: a highly efficient green catalytic system for one-pot synthesis of 1,3-oxathiolan-5-one

Aldehydes and mercaptoacetic acid are coupled in the presence of a catalytic amount of economical and non-toxic molecular iodine in [bmim][BF₄] ionic liquid under mild conditions to afford the corresponding 1,3-oxathiolan-5-one in excellent yields. Molecular iodine acts faster in ionic liquids when compared to conventional solvents such as DMSO, DMF, ethyl acetate, and acetonitrile. The recovered ionic liquids can be recycled in subsequent reactions with consistent activity.