Nucleophilicity in ionic liquids. 3. Anion effects on halide nucleophilicity in a series of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium ionic liquids

We have continued the study of halide nucleophilicity in ionic liquids, concentrating on the effect of changing the anion ([BF(4)](-), [PF(6)](-), [SbF(6)](-), [OTf](-), and [N(Tf)(2)](-)) when the cation is [bmim](+) (where bmim = 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium). It was found that the nucleophilicities of all the halides were lower in all of the ionic liquids than in dichloromethane. Changing the anion affected the order of halide nucleophilicity, e.g., in [bmim][BF(4)] the order of nucleophilicity was Cl(-)>Br(-)>I(-) while in [bmim][N(Tf)(2)] the order was Cl(-)