Synthesis of Imidazolium Room-Temperature Ionic Liquids. Exploring Green Chemistry and Click Chemistry Paradigms in Undergraduate Organic Chemistry Laboratory

Room-temperature ionic liquids have become a widely used alternative to conventional molecular organic solvents as a reaction medium. Few preparations of ionic liquids provide efficient access to these solvents; furthermore, none is fully adaptable to an undergraduate organic chemistry laboratory. In this article, several imidazolium-based ionic liquids are formed in facile and efficient one-pot procedures using water or ethanol as a solvent. These reactions are suited for a four-hour organic chemistry laboratory without special equipment.