Immobilized Chloroferrate Ionic Liquid: An Efficient and Reusable Catalyst for Synthesis of Diphenylmethane and its Derivatives

Chloroferrate ionic liquid was immobilized on mesoporous silica of MCM-41 via a two-steps process involving the synthesis of 1-trimethoxysilylpropyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride-FeCl 3 and successively grafting it onto siliceous MCM-41. In comparison with the 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride-FeCl 3 (BmimCl-FeCl 3 ), the obtained catalyst showed much higher efficiency in Friedel–Crafts benzylation reaction. More importantly, such immobilized ionic liquid could be reused without significant loss of catalytic activity.