A highly fluorous room-temperature ionic liquid exhibiting fluorous biphasic behavior and its use in catalyst recycling

graphic A novel fluorous room-temperature ionic liquid, 1-butyl-3-methyl-imidazollum tetrakis[p-{dimethyl(1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorooctyl)silyl}phenyl]-borate (1), was used as a solvent for the homogeneous hydrosilylation of 1-octene catalyzed by a fluorous version of Wilkinson's catalyst. The catalyst was recycled by biphasic separation with an average retention of catalyst activity of 94%. As opposed to other ionic liquids, 1 exhibits high miscibility with apolar compounds such as alkenes and resembles fluorous solvents in its phase behavior with organic solvents.