Base and metal free true recyclable medium for Knoevenagel condensation reaction in SDS-ionic liquid-aqueous miceller composite system

Abstract

This paper presents for the first time a base and metal free procedure for Knoevenagel condensation reaction in a neutral medium comprises water-SDS-imidazolium ionic liquid composite system. Knoevenagel condensation products from the different aromatic aldehydes and active methylene compounds such as malononitrile, ethyl cyanoacetate or cyano acetic acid provides good to excellent yields in all cases examined at 80 °C. The developed protocol has several advantages such as chromatography and organic volatile solvent free protocol, short reaction time and recyclability of catalyst including reaction waste. The reaction is believed to proceed in the hydrophobic cavity of the micelle formed in the medium which was proved by dynamic light scattering studies.

Keywords

• Ionic liquid
• Knoevenagel condensation
• Surfactant
• Carbon-carbon bond forming reaction
• Recyclability