Palladium-catalyzed hydroesterification of olefins with isosorbide in standard and Brønsted acidic ionic liquids

•Standard and Brønsted acidic ionic liquids (BAILs) can serve as solvent.•Isosorbide conversions up to 85% with a chemoselectivity in diesters of 90% are obtained.•The immobilization of the catalyst in the BAIL can only be achieved with ionic ligands.•Trisulfonated triphenylphosphine allows recycling the catalytic system.

The palladium catalyzed hydroesterification of 1-octene with isosorbide was studied in standard and Brønsted acidic ionic liquids as reaction media. High conversions and selectivities towards the targeted isosorbide diesters have been achieved by using a catalytic system composed of Pd(OAc)2 and trisulfonated triphenylphosphine dissolved in 1-(4-sulfonic acid)-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tosylate. The catalytic phase can be reused several times without any significant decrease in activity and selectivity.

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