Search

In the last twenty years, N‐heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) have been extensively studied for their application as organocatalysts in stereoselective synthesis as well as ligands for transition metals‐promoted synthetic methodologies. Derived mainly from azolium salts, NHCs have demonstrated exceptional versatility in their generation usually performed by deprotonation or reduction (chemical or electrochemical). In particular, the generation of NHC under electrochemical conditions, starting from azolium‐based ionic liquids, has proven to be a successful green approach and demonstrated wide applicability in organic synthesis. In this Personal Account, the application of electrogenerated NHCs in organic synthesis will be discussed, with a particular attention to the different reactivity in ionic liquids compared to classical organic solvents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adaptation of all‐in‐one ionic systems with ionic liquids (ILs) serving as solvent, reactant, and catalyst is an innovative approach in the organic synthesis. Mild and bio clean choline based ILs as all‐in‐one systems (solvent, reagent, and catalyst) were developed via a simple metathesis approach and were applied on the ring‐opening reaction of epoxides. Sustained transformation of various epoxides using choline cyanide, azide, and hydroxide ILs delivered a neat, efficient and convenient protocol for the synthesis of β‐substituted alcohols in moderate to high yields (64‐97 %) with excellent activity and selectivity as confirmed by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic synthesis without an organic solvent is still the exception. In this microreview, we discuss and compare different synthetic methods that proceed in the absence of conventional organic solvents. This includes solvent‐free methods in solids (mechanochemistry and solid‐state photochemistry), and in neat liquids (thermal and photocatalytic), as well as the application of unconventional solvents, such as ionic liquids and deep‐eutectic solvents. The different approaches are briefly introduced and examples illustrate their specific advantages, followed by a critical discussion of their limitations. Some methods have the intrinsic benefits of solvent‐free operation, such as avoiding solubility problems and side‐reactions with the solvent. However, every method has specific advantages and the demand of the synthetic application is crucial for selecting the best technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ionic liquids (ILs) acting as new functional solvents have significant impact in both synthetic and materials chemistry. However, the usage of volatile organic solvents in both synthesis and recycling of ILs usually imposes environmental issues. In this study, according to intrinsic wetting threshold theory, a membrane-based approach assisted by superwettability is developed for efficient, convenient, and economical purification of water-immiscible ILs. By precisely tailoring surface energy, the porous membrane is capable of hydrophobicity and superILphilicity (defined as IL contact angle close to zero), selectively allowing ILs to pass through. This kind of functional membrane can not only separate IL/water mixtures, but also IL/water systems containing inorganic salts, organic compounds, amino acids, and proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Review: 110 refs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]