Ionic liquids as catalytic “green” reactants and solvents for nucleophilic conversion of fatty alcohols to alkyl halides

Abstract

We show that ionic liquids such as 1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide or iodide (OMIM/X) make excellent reagents and solvents for the transformation of fatty alcohols into fatty halides in the presence of paratoluene sulfonic acid (PTSA). The conversion used either direct or microwave heating with excellent yields. The ionic liquid was successfully regenerated and reused.