Ionic liquid as an efficient promoting medium for two-phase nucleophilic displacement reactions

The use of the room temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) 1-n-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate as an efficient catalyst and solvent for several representative nucleophilic substitution reactions under aqueous-RTIL phase transfer conditions was explored. Recycling and reuse of the reaction medium was demonstrated for the azide formation.