Water-Tolerant Trifloaluminate Ionic Liquids: New and Unique Lewis Acidic Catalysts for the Synthesis of Chromane

The first example of triflometallate ionic liquids, named in analogy to chlorometallate ionic liquids, is reported. Trifloaluminate ionic liquids, synthesized from 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium triflates and aluminum triflate, were characterized by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy and FT-IR spectroscopy, revealing the existence of oligonuclear, multiply-charged trifloaluminate anions, with multiple bridging triflate modes. Acceptor numbers were determined to quantify their Lewis acidity, rendering trifloaluminate ionic liquids as medium-strength Lewis acids (AN = ca. 65). Used as acidic catalysts in the cycloaddition of 2,4-dimethylphenol and isoprene (molar ratio 2:1) to prepare chromane, trifloaluminate systems outperformed literature systems, showing high activity (conversions 94–99%, selectivities 80–89%) and at low loadings (0.2 mol%) at 35°C. Using these new systems as supported ionic liquid phase (SILP) on multi-walled carbon nanotubes (ionic liquid loading 16 wt%) delivered a recyclable catalytic system, with activity enhanced with respect to the homogenous regime.