Polystyrene-supported chloroaluminate ionic liquid as a new heterogeneous Lewis acid catalyst for Knoevenagel condensation

Non-hygroscopic polystyrene-supported chloroaluminate ionic liquid was prepared from the reaction of Merrifield resin with 1-methylimidazole followed by reaction with aluminum chloride. This Lewis acidic ionic liquid is environmentally friendly heterogeneous catalyst for the Knoevenagel condensation of aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes with ethyl cyanoacetate. The catalyst is stable (as a bench top catalyst) and reusable.