Ionic liquids as a medium for enantioselective catalysis

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.

Protic ionic liquids as catalysts for a three-component coupling/hydroarylation/dehydrogenation tandem reaction

Protic ionic liquids with nitrate anions were used as solvents and catalysts for a three-component oxidative dehydrogenation tandem reaction via the coupling and hydroarylation of benzaldehyde, aniline, and phenylacetylene to a quinoline derivative. The reaction was supported by air and microwave irradiation. The presence of nitrate as counter anion in the protic ionic liquids was essential for the reaction.

Whole-Cell Biocatalysis in Ionic Liquids

The use of whole-cell biocatalysis in ionic liquid (IL)-containing systems has attracted increasing attention in recent years. Compared to bioreactions catalyzed by isolated enzymes, the major advantage of using whole cells in biocatalytic processes is that the cells provide a natural intracellular environment for the enzymes to function with in situ cofactor regeneration. To date, the applications of whole-cell biocatalysis in IL-containing systems have focused on the production of valuable compounds, mainly through reduction, oxidation, hydrolysis, and transesterification reactions. The interaction mechanisms between the ILs and biocatalysts in whole-cell biocatalysis offer the possibility to effectively integrate ILs with biotransformation. This chapter discusses these interaction mechanisms between ILs and whole-cell catalysts. In addition, examples of whole-cell catalyzed reactions with ILs will also be discussed. Graphical Abstract.

Influence of Ionic Liquids on an Iron(III) Catalyzed Three-Component Coupling/Hydroarylation/Dehydrogenation Tandem Reaction

A three-component oxidative dehydrogenation tandem reaction via the coupling and hydroarylation of benzaldehyde, aniline and phenylacetylene to a quinoline derivate was catalyzed by an iron-containing ionic liquid. The reaction was air mediated and could be performed under neat conditions. The iron(III) of the ionic liquid was the oxidizing species.

Ionic liquids in catalysis: molecular and nanometric metal systems

The catalyst immobilization in a liquid phase represents an attractive means to preserve high activities and selectivities, also permitting an easy recycling. To attain this goal, organic products should be extracted in a simple way from the catalytic phase leading to metal-free target compounds; for this reason, ionic liquids exhibiting high affinity for metallic species and low affinity for low polar compounds, turn into a promising medium, in particular for the synthesis of fine chemicals. In the present Accounts, we illustrate this approach through our research involving both molecular organometallic compounds and metallic nanoparticles dispersed in an ionic liquid phase.

{[MIM-NO2]C(NO2)3} a unique nano ionic liquid: application to the synthesis of novel Biginelli-type compounds

1-Methyl-3-nitro-1H-imidazol-3-ium trinitromethanide {[MIM-NO₂]C(NO₂)₃} as a novel and green NIL catalyst was synthesized, characterized and used to Biginelli reaction at room temperature under solvent-free conditions.

Microwave assisted enzymatic kinetic resolution of (±)-1-phenyl-2-propyn-1-ol in nonaqueous media

Kinetic resolution of 1-phenyl-2-propyn-1-ol, an important chiral synthon, was studied through trans-esterification with acyl acetate to investigate synergism between microwave irradiation and enzyme catalysis. Lipases from different microbial origins were employed for the kinetic resolution of (R/S)-1-phenyl-2-propyn-1-ol, among which Candida antarctica lipase B, immobilized on acrylic resin (Novozym 435), was found to be the best catalyst in n-hexane as solvent. Vinyl acetate was the most effective among different acyl esters studied. The effect of various parameters was studied in a systematic manner. Definite synergism between microwave and enzyme was observed. The initial rate was improved around 1.28 times under microwave irradiation than conventional heating. Under optimum conditions, maximum conversion (48.78%) and high enantiomeric excess (93.25%) were obtained in 2 h. From modeling studies, it is concluded that the reaction follows the Ping-Pong bi-bi mechanism with dead end alcohol inhibition. Kinetic parameters were obtained by using nonlinear regression. This process is green, clean, and easily scalable as compared to the chemical process.

Poly(amide-imide)s obtained from 3,5-diamino-N-(thiazol-2-yl)-benzamide and dicarboxylic acids containing various amino acid units

This study reports a green approach toward the synthesis of novel optically active poly(amide-imide)s (PAI)s bearing thiazole moiety, which was formed by the polycondensation reaction of 3,5-diamino- N-(thiazol-2-yl)benzamide and various diacids containing natural amino acids in molten tetrabutylammonium bromide. Diamine monomer was synthesized by the reduction of 3,5-dinitro- N-(thiazol-2-yl)benzamide in methanol using iron oxide hydroxide as a catalyst. This catalyst can rapidly reduce the sulfur and azo-containing aromatic nitro compounds to the corresponding amines in high yield by employing hydrazine hydrate as a hydrogen donor. Chiral diacid monomers were synthesized in high yield through the reaction of pyromellitic dianhydride and amino acids (l-isoluecine, S-valine, S-methionine, and l-phenylalanine) in acetic acid. The direct polymerization reactions of these monomers provided a series of new optically active PAIs with inherent viscosities in the range of 0.20–0.28 dL g−1. The obtained polymers were characterized by Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy, specific rotation measurements, and the representative of them by proton nuclear magnetic resonance and elemental analysis techniques.

Enhancing the functional properties of thermophilic enzymes by chemical modification and immobilization

The immobilization of proteins (mostly typically enzymes) onto solid supports is mature technology and has been used successfully to enhance biocatalytic processes in a wide range of industrial applications. However, continued developments in immobilization technology have led to more sophisticated and specialized applications of the process. A combination of targeted chemistries, for both the support and the protein, sometimes in combination with additional chemical and/or genetic engineering, has led to the development of methods for the modification of protein functional properties, for enhancing protein stability and for the recovery of specific proteins from complex mixtures. In particular, the development of effective methods for immobilizing large multi-subunit proteins with multiple covalent linkages (multi-point immobilization) has been effective in stabilizing proteins where subunit dissociation is the initial step in enzyme inactivation. In some instances, multiple benefits are achievable in a single process. Here we comprehensively review the literature pertaining to immobilization and chemical modification of different enzyme classes from thermophiles, with emphasis on the chemistries involved and their implications for modification of the enzyme functional properties. We also highlight the potential for synergies in the combined use of immobilization and other chemical modifications.

Control of protein immobilization: coupling immobilization and site-directed mutagenesis to improve biocatalyst or biosensor performance

Mutagenesis and immobilization are usually considered to be unrelated techniques with potential applications to improve protein properties. However, there are several reports showing that the use of site-directed mutagenesis to improve enzyme properties directly, but also how enzymes are immobilized on a support, can be a powerful tool to improve the properties of immobilized biomolecules for use as biosensors or biocatalysts. Standard immobilizations are not fully random processes, but the protein orientation may be difficult to alter. Initially, most efforts using this idea were addressed towards controlling the orientation of the enzyme on the immobilization support, in many cases to facilitate electron transfer from the support to the enzyme in redox biosensors. Usually, Cys residues are used to directly immobilize the protein on a support that contains disulfide groups or that is made from gold. There are also some examples using His in the target areas of the protein and using supports modified with immobilized metal chelates and other tags (e.g., using immobilized antibodies). Furthermore, site-directed mutagenesis to control immobilization is useful for improving the activity, the stability and even the selectivity of the immobilized protein, for example, via site-directed rigidification of selected areas of the protein. Initially, only Cys and disulfide supports were employed, but other supports with higher potential to give multipoint covalent attachment are being employed (e.g., glyoxyl or epoxy-disulfide supports). The advances in support design and the deeper knowledge of the mechanisms of enzyme-support interactions have permitted exploration of the possibilities of the coupled use of site-directed mutagenesis and immobilization in a new way. This paper intends to review some of the advances and possibilities that these coupled strategies permit.