Supported Ionic Liquid Phase (SILP) Catalysis: An Innovative Concept for Homogeneous Catalysis in Continuous Fixed‐Bed Reactors

Abstract

Abstract Applications of ionic liquids to replace conventional solvents in homogeneous transition‐metal catalysis have increased significantly during the last decade. Biphasic ionic liquid/organic liquid systems offer advantages with regard to product separation, catalyst stability, and recycling but utilise in the case of fast chemical reactions only a small amount of expensive ionic liquid and catalyst. The novel Supported Ionic Liquid Phase (SILP) catalysis concept overcomes these drawbacks and allows the use of fixed‐bed reactors for continuous reactions. In this Microreview the SILP catalysis concept is surveyed by presenting results for the continuous gas‐phase hydroformylation of propene, as a reaction example. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2006)