Hexaalkylguanidinium salts as ionic liquids – applications in titanium and aluminium alcoholate assisted synthesis

Abstract

The solubility of titanium and aluminium alcoholates and of titanium tetrakis(trimethylsilanolate) in several hexaalkylguanidinium-based room temperature ionic liquids was screened. The solvent/solute combinations which displayed the highest alcoholate solubility and stability were applied as Lewis-acidic catalytic media for several dehydrating cyclocondensations: lactamisation of ω-aminocarboxylic acids, direct amidation of carboxylic acids, synthesis of oxazolines from carboxylic acids and 2-aminoethanol, lactonisation of 6-hydroxyhexanoic acid, and Paal–Knorr synthesis of pyrroles.