Ionic liquids as benign catalysts for the carbonylation of amines to formamides

Abstract 1-Butyl-3-methylimidazolium hydrogen carbonate ([BMIm][HCO 3 ]), prepared from the reaction of [BMIm]Cl with K 2 CO 3 in methanol, exhibits high activity for the carbonylation of amines to produce formamides. Computational calculation results on the carbonylation reaction of methylamine implies that such high activity of [BMIm][HCO 3 ] could be ascribed to the bi-functional actions of [HCO 3 ] − as a hydrogen atom acceptor and a donor.