Ionic Liquids in Metal, Photo-, Electro-, and (Bio) Catalysis

Ionic liquids (ILs) have unique physicochemical properties that make them advantageous for catalysis, such as low vapor pressure, non-flammability, high thermal and chemical stabilities, and the ability to enhance the activity and stability of (bio)catalysts. ILs can improve the efficiency, selectivity, and sustainability of bio(transformations) by acting as activators of enzymes, selectively dissolving substrates and products, and reducing toxicity. They can also be recycled and reused multiple times without losing their effectiveness. ILs based on imidazolium cation are preferred for structural organization aspects, with a semiorganized layer surrounding the catalyst. ILs act as a container, providing a confined space that allows modulation of electronic and geometric effects, miscibility of reactants and products, and residence time of species. ILs can stabilize ionic and radical species and control the catalytic activity of dynamic processes. Supported IL phase (SILP) derivatives and polymeric ILs (PILs) are good options for molecular engineering of greener catalytic processes. The major factors governing metal, photo-, electro-, and biocatalysts in ILs are discussed in detail based on the vast literature available over the past two and a half decades. Catalytic reactions, ranging from hydrogenation and cross-coupling to oxidations, promoted by homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts in both single and multiphase conditions, are extensively reviewed and discussed considering the knowledge accumulated until now.

Recent developments in biocatalysis in multiphasic ionic liquid reaction systems

Ionic liquids are well known and frequently used 'designer solvents' for biocatalytic reactions. This review highlights recent achievements in the field of multiphasic ionic liquid-based reaction concepts. It covers classical biphasic systems including supported ionic liquid phases, thermo-regulated multi-component solvent systems (TMS) and polymerized ionic liquids. These powerful concepts combine unique reaction conditions with a high potential for future applications on a laboratory and industrial scale. The presence of a multiphasic system simplifies downstream processing due to the distribution of the catalyst and reactants in different phases.

Efficient mono-acylation of fructose by lipase-catalyzed esterification in ionic liquid co-solvents

Fructose monoesters are eco-friendly nonionic surfactants in various applications. Selective preparation of mono-acylated fructose is challenging due to the multiple hydroxyl sites available for acylation both chemically and enzymatically. Ionic liquids (ILs) have profound impacts not only on the reaction media but also on the catalytic properties of enzymes in the acylation process. In this study, utilizing an IL co-solvent system, selective synthesis of mono-acylated fructose with lauric acid catalyzed by immobilized Candida antarctica lipase B (CALB) was investigated. The imidazolium-based ILs selected as co-solvents with 2-methyl-2-butanol (2M2B) markedly improved the ratios of monolauroyl fructose in the presence of 60% [BMIM][TfO] (v/v) and 20% [BMIM][BF4] (v/v), in which the mono-acylated fructose was 85% and 78% respectively. Based on a Ping-Pong Bi-Bi model, a kinetic equation was fitted, by which the kinetic parameters revealed that the affinity between fructose and acyl-enzyme intermediate was enhanced. The inhibition effect of fructose on free enzyme was weakened in the presence of IL co-solvents. The conformation of CALB binding substrates also changed in the co-solvent system as demonstrated by Fourier transform infrared spectra. These results demonstrated that the variation of CALB kinetic characteristics was a crucial factor for the selectivity of mono-acylation in ILs/2M2B co-solvents.

Biodiesel synthesis and conformation of lipase from Burkholderia cepacia in room temperature ionic liquids and organic solvents

Biodiesel synthesis and conformation of Burkholderia cepacia lipase (BCL) were studied in 19 different room temperature ionic liquids (RTLLs) with a range of cation and anion structures. Overall, anion selection had a greater influence on biodiesel conversion than cation choice. RTILs containing Tf2N- and PF6- anions were suitable reaction media, while RTIL of [OmPy][BF4] was the best reaction medium with a biodiesel yield of 82.2±1.2%. RTILs with strong water miscible properties showed very low biodiesel yields. Conformational analysis by FT-IR revealed that higher biodiesel conversion in RTILs was correlated with a low tendency in α-helix content of BCL. An ultrasound-assisted biocatalysis process in RTILs was used to improve mass transfer rate, leading to 83% reduction of the reaction time for biodiesel production.