Synthesis of N-alkylimidazolium salts and their utility as solvents in the Beckmann rearrangement

Six different room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) based on N-methyl or N-isopropyl imidazolium cations with counteranions, such as , , and OTf⁻, have been synthesized by exchanging the counteranions of the corresponding N-methyl or N-isopropylimidazolium bromides using appropriate salts such as NH₄BF₄, KPF₆, and AgOTf. Catalytic amounts of these ionic liquids (ILs) have been used as the reaction medium for the Beckmann rearrangement of oximes to amides in the presence of PCl₅. A moderate to good conversion of oximes to amides in all the six ILs was observed.