Fluorous imidazolium room-temperature ionic liquids based on HFPO trimer

Imidazole substituted with a polyfluoropolyether chain based on HFPO trimer combined with various polyfluoroalkyl triflates produced novel highly fluorous ionic liquids. Their metathesis with four different anions generated a final set of 20 fluorous ionic liquids of waxy or viscous liquid character, which are all soluble in perfluorinated solvents. Two model reactions using selected ionic liquid, the opening of a THF ring with benzoyl chloride under Friedel–Crafts conditions and substitution of benzyl chloride with sodium azide, led to decomposition of the ionic liquid. However, Diels–Alder reaction of 2,3-dimethylbuta-1,3-diene with dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate in a fluorous ionic liquid resulted in a reasonable enhancing of the reaction rate with smooth recycle of the fluorous solvent. The fluorophilicity of these fluorous ionic liquids ranges from more than 10 for water, toluene or dichloromethane to less than 0.2 for acetonitrile or methanol.