title: Olefin Epoxidation in Aqueous Phase Using Ionic-Liquid Catalysts.
abstract: Hydrophobic imidazolium-based ionic liquids (IL) act as catalysts for the epoxidation of unfunctionalized olefins in water using hydrogen peroxide as oxidant. Although the catalysts are insoluble in both the substrate and in water, surprisingly, they are very well soluble in aqueous H2 O2 solution, owing to perrhenate-H2 O2 interactions. Even more remarkably, the presence of the catalyst also boosts the solubility of substrate in water. This effect is crucially dependent on the cation design. Hence, the imidazolium perrhenates enable both the transfer of hydrophobic substrate into the aqueous phase, and serve as actual catalysts, which is unprecedented. At the end of the reaction and in absence of H2 O2 the IL catalyst forms a third phase next to the lipophilic product and water and can easily be recycled.
authors.affiliation: Catalysis Research Center, Technical University of Munich, Ernst-Otto-Fischer-Str. 1, 85747, Garching bei München, Germany. mirza.cokoja@tum.de.
authors.forename: Mirza
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cokoja
authors.affiliation: Catalysis Research Center, Technical University of Munich, Ernst-Otto-Fischer-Str. 1, 85747, Garching bei München, Germany.
authors.forename: Robert M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Reich
authors.affiliation: Catalysis Research Center, Technical University of Munich, Ernst-Otto-Fischer-Str. 1, 85747, Garching bei München, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Wilhelm
authors.affiliation: Catalysis Research Center, Technical University of Munich, Ernst-Otto-Fischer-Str. 1, 85747, Garching bei München, Germany.
authors.forename: Marlene
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaposi
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Engineering Sciences, Chair of Chemical Engineering, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95447, Bayreuth, Germany.
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schäffer
authors.affiliation: EaStCHEM School of Chemistry, University of Edinburgh, David Brewster Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FJ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Danny S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.affiliation: Catalysis Research Center, Technical University of Munich, Ernst-Otto-Fischer-Str. 1, 85747, Garching bei München, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Münchmeyer
authors.affiliation: Catalysis Research Center, Technical University of Munich, Ernst-Otto-Fischer-Str. 1, 85747, Garching bei München, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Anthofer
authors.affiliation: Catalysis Research Center, Technical University of Munich, Ernst-Otto-Fischer-Str. 1, 85747, Garching bei München, Germany.
authors.forename: Iulius I E
authors.initials: II
authors.lastname: Markovits
authors.affiliation: Catalysis Research Center, Technical University of Munich, Ernst-Otto-Fischer-Str. 1, 85747, Garching bei München, Germany.
authors.forename: Fritz E
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Kühn
authors.affiliation: Catalysis Research Center, Technical University of Munich, Ernst-Otto-Fischer-Str. 1, 85747, Garching bei München, Germany.
authors.forename: Wolfgang A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Herrmann
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Engineering Sciences, Chair of Chemical Engineering, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95447, Bayreuth, Germany.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jess
authors.affiliation: EaStCHEM School of Chemistry, University of Edinburgh, David Brewster Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FJ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Jason B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Love
mesh_terms: D000475:Alkenes / Q000737:chemistry*; D002384:Catalysis; D004852:Epoxy Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D052578:Ionic Liquids / Q000737:chemistry*; D007700:Kinetics; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000475:Alkenes; D004852:Epoxy Compounds; D052578:Ionic Liquids; D014867:Water
keywords: epoxidation; homogeneous catalysis; ionic liquids; solubility; two-phase catalysis