Abstract:

Catalytic methods that perform new bond formation and/or cleavage are of great interest. Nowadays, the development of new catalytic systems to promote important transformations in environmentally acceptable reaction media is imperative due to ecological, safety and security reasons. In this sense, ionic liquids are regarded as a green media due to their unique set of physical-chemical properties such as negligible vapor pressure, good chemical and thermal stabilities, relative low flammability, relative low viscosity and others. Based on our large experience using ionic liquids in catalytic processes, we disclose herein a new methodology to promote the aminolysis reaction (amide formation) from esters and carboxylic acids in ionic liquids (Escheme 1).