Benign coupling of reactions and separations with reversible ionic liquids

Reversible ionic liquids are a novel class of solvents that combine an effective medium where reactions occur with a 'built-in' separation ability for facile recovery of the products and catalysts, making the solvent available for recycle. We report the utility of these solvents in a number of reactions (Claisen-Schmidt condensation, Heck C-C coupling, and CO2 capture) and discuss the effectiveness of the separation. We also provide insight into the challenges and limitations of using these unique solvent systems to couple reactions and separations.