I. Tommasi, Fabiana Sorrentino
Jan 7, 2009
Citations
0
Influential Citations
58
Citations
Journal
Tetrahedron Letters
Abstract
Abstract 1,3-Dialkylimidazolium-2-carboxylate compounds of formulas 1a , 2 , and 4 have been synthesized and fully characterized by X-ray spectroscopy quite recently. Up today, these compounds have found some interesting applications as precursors of N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) used as ligands for metal-complexes or in the synthesis of organic compounds and ionic liquids. We have recently reported the use of 1-butyl, 3-methylimidazolium-2-carboxylate and 1,3-dimethylimidazolium-2-carboxylate in a CO 2 -transfer reaction to CH 3 OH and acetophenone for the synthesis of methylcarbonate and benzoylacetate. The scope of this CO 2 -transfer reaction has been expanded to several organic compounds with active hydrogen (acetone, cyclohexanone, and benzylcyanide) for the synthesis of carboxylates of pharmaceutical interest, and to propargyl alcohols for the synthesis of α-alkylidene cyclic carbonates.