Supported ionic-liquid films (SILF) as two-dimensional nanoreactors for enantioselective reactions: surface-mediated...

Supported ionic-liquid films (SILF) of nanometric thickness containing bis(oxazoline)-copper complexes can be used as recoverable catalysts for enantioselective cyclopropanation reactions. When a thin film of ionic liquid is supported on a clay, the system behaves as a nearly two-dimensional nanoreactor in which the restrictions in rotational mobility and the close proximity to the surface support produce variations in the stereo- and enantioselectivities, leading to a complete reversal of the overall selectivity of the reaction. As an example, the cyclopropanation of styrene changes from a preference for the (1S,2S)-trans isomer in bulk solution to the (1R,2S)-cis isomer in the SILF. This variation is strongly dependent on both the thickness of the film and the nature of the support. Only layered solids with negative charges in the layers (clays) give rise to this type of behaviour, showing that the formation of ion pairs may be a decisive factor. This unexpected effect also shows the existence of differences between bulk and supported ionic liquids.