Ionic liquid-catalyzed isomerization of tetrahydrotricyclopentadiene using various chloroaluminate complexes

• We compare catalytic behavior of THTCPD isomerization by various ionic liquid (IL).
• We characterize of the IL catalysts by means of FT-IR to elucidate relative acidity.
• Lewis acidity can be controlled using different types of cationic species in IL.
• Conversion of isomerization strongly depends on the variation of IL’s acidity.

Isomerization of tetrahydrotricyclopentadiene (THTCPD) was conducted using three kinds of chloroaluminate ionic liquid (IL) catalysts to compare catalytic behavior of the IL catalysts. The effect of various reaction parameters and types of IL catalysts on the THTCPD isomerization has been explored to optimize the reaction process. The conversion of isomerization of THTCPD using IL catalyst strongly dependent on the molar fraction of AlCl3 regardless of the type of IL catalyst, due to an acidity variation. The characterization of the IL catalysts was also performed by means of FT-IR to elucidate the nature of acidic active species on the THTCPD isomerization. It was found that Lewis acidity can be controlled using different types of cationic species as well as by altering the molar fraction of AlCl3. Moreover, the conversion of THTCPD isomerization was strongly correlated with the Lewis acidity of IL catalyst as well.

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