Exxonmobil Research and Engineering Company

Nicholas Charles Dispenziere

Christian Peter Mehnert

Richard Henry Schlosberg

Raymond A Cook

A method for preparing a high-purity ionic liquid having a pH value of 7 and an elemental analysis deviation of less than 0.5 wt % between a calculated elemental analysis and a found elemental analysis for each of carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen, wherein the method comprises forming a monophasic or biphasic mixture of an ionic liquid and an inert liquid. When the monophasic mixture is formed, it is filtered to yield a filtrate from which the high-purity ionic liquid is recovered. When the biphasic mixtures is formed, it is separated into an aqueous phase and ionic liquid phase, whereby the ionic liquid phase is filtered to yield a filtrate from which the high-purity ionic liquid is recovered. Furthermore, the present purification procedure can be used for the clean-up of a contaminated ionic liquid by extracting it into a polar extractant to form an extract containing the ionic liquid. Water traces are removed from the extract. Then, the extract is filtered and the high-purity ionic liquid is recovered from the filtered extract.

Method for preparing high-purity ionic liquids

The present invention is related to a method for forming aldol condensation products, comprising reacting at least one aldehyde starting material in the presence of an ionic liquid medium and a basic catalyst at a temperature range of from about &minus;20&deg; C. to about 300&deg; C. and at a pressure range of from about 1 atm to about 1000 atm for a sufficient time to form the aldol condensation products. The invention is also directed to a method for forming aldol condensation products, comprising reacting at least one aldehyde starting material in the presence of a basic ionic liquid medium at the same parameters specified above. The advantage of the instant invention is the increased selectivity and productivity of the resulting aldol condensation products formed in ionic liquid media, along with the ability to recycle the ionic liquid for use in producing additional aldol condensation products.

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Wall, NJ, United States of America

Nicholas Charles Dispenziere