Ionic liquids as a medium for enantioselective catalysis

Over the last years, interest involving ionic liquids (ILs) used as reaction medium for homogeneous enantioselective catalysis has exponentially expanded. In many cases, the use of ILs provides several advantages over reactions in organic solvents in terms of activity and enantioselectivity. Even more important, the catalyst immobilization in IL can avoid its leaching and consequently favour its recycling. This review deals with recent advances in the investigation of these new solvents in asymmetric catalysis. We go over enzymes, chiral organocatalysts and metal complexes containing chiral ligands used in enantioselective processes using ionic liquids, with special emphasis on the catalyst reuse and also the separation of organic products.