Effect of Lewis acids on the Diels-Alder reaction in ionic liquids with different activation modes

The Diels–Alder reaction has been examined in room temperature ionic liquids with high molar concentrations of Lewis acids under various conditions. A molar ratio of 10% catalyst gave a large increase in the selectivity and the yield of the reaction. The effect of catalysts on reaction rates was also examined under 100 MPa of pressure which leads to modest improvements in reaction rates. Ultrasound and microwave dielectric heating were also shown to improve the rate and, to a minor extent, selectivity of the examined reactions. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. The effect of Lewis acid catalysts, high pressure, ultrasound and microwaves on Diels‐Alder reactions in ionic liquids is reported.