Nanoscale Advancement Continues-From Catalysts and Reagents to Restructuring of Reaction Media

Comprehensive studies dedicated to the search for specific properties of matter at the micro- and nanoscales have greatly enriched the fields of chemistry and materials science. From the point of view of synthetic chemistry, discoveries in the field of nanoscale catalysis, in which the size effects of active centers are used to accelerate the reactions, are of particular importance. However, another approach for the promotion of chemical transformations based on the micro- or nanoconfinement of reacting molecules or even on the structuring of the reaction media as a whole is gaining interest as a highly valuable tool. Herein, we highlight the example of an increase in the efficiency of phenol alkylation and tert-butylation of benzyl alcohol in reaction media based on ionic liquids by the creation of acidic microdomains in the presence of small molecule additives.