Ionophilic phosphines: versatile ligands for ionic liquid biphasic catalysis

Org Lett. 2008 Jan 17;10(2):237-40. doi: 10.1021/ol702664a. Epub 2007 Dec 22.

Abstract

Phosphine ligands bearing an imidazolium fragment were easily prepared by one-step radical chain addition of secondary phosphines to allyl or vinyl imidazolium salts. These ligands were used to prepare new ionophilic second generation Grubbs-type catalysts. The catalyst immobilized in 1-butyl-3-methyl imidazolium ILs shows good catalytic activity in RCM reactions of several substrates and, depending on the media employed, is stable up to eight cycles.