Use of imidazolium ionic liquids as solvents for organic transformations with tetravalent cerium salts asoxi
dizing agents was evaluated. Good solubility was found for ammonium hexanitratocerate(IV) (cericammonium nitrate, CAN) and cerium(IV) triflate in 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium triflate ionic liquids.Oxidation of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde in 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium triflate was stu
died byin-situ FTIR spectroscopy and
13C NMR spectroscopy on carbon-13-labeled benzyl alcohol. Careful controlof the reaction con
ditions is necessary because ammonium hexanitratocerate(IV)
dissolved in an ionicliquid can transform benzyl alcohol not only into benzaldehyde but also into benzyl nitrate or benzoicacid. The selectivity of the reaction of cerium(IV) triflate with benzyl alcohol in dry ionic liquids dependson the degree of hydration of cerium(IV) triflate: anhydrous cerium(IV) triflate transforms benzyl alcoholinto
dibenzyl ether, whereas hydrated cerium(IV) triflate affords benzaldehyde as the main reaction product.Reactions of ammonium hexanitratocerate(IV) with organic substrates other than benzyl alcohol havebeen explored. 1,4-Hydroquinone is quantitatively transformed into 1,4-quinone. Anisole and naphthaleneare nitrated. For the cerium-me
diated oxidation reactions in ionic liquids, high reaction temperatures arean advantage because under these con
ditions smaller amounts of byproducts are formed.