Recent advances in ionic liquid catalysis

TLDR

Ionic liquids, owing to their unique physicochemical properties, hold great promise for clean catalytic technologies. The review surveys recent advances in ionic liquid catalysis, focusing on four key areas—biomass conversion, fine‑chemical synthesis, supported ionic liquid phase catalysis, and Friedel–Crafts reactions—and outlines prospects for future development. The authors examine how ionic liquids are employed in each of these four hot fields, highlighting their roles and advantages. Selected examples demonstrate that ionic liquids offer advantages over traditional catalysts for cleaner catalytic technologies.

Abstract

Due to their unique properties, ionic liquids have offered great potential for developing clean catalytic technologies. After a short introduction of their advantages in green catalysis, recent advances in ionic liquid catalysis are reviewed with emphasis on four hot fields, viz. biomass conversion in ionic liquids, catalytic production of fine chemicals in ionic liquids, supported ionic liquid phase catalysis, as well as Friedel–Crafts reactions in ionic liquids. In particular, through selected samples, we show here the advantages and potential of ionic liquids in exploring cleaner catalytic technologies, as compared to traditional catalytic processes. Finally, further development of ILs in catalysis is briefly prospected.