Using metrics and sustainability considerations to evaluate the use of bio-based and non-renewable Brønsted acidic ionic liquids to catalyse Fischer esterification reactions

Abstract

Ionic liquids have found uses in many applications, one of which is the joint solvation and catalysis of chemical transformations. Suitable Brønsted acidic ionic liquids can be formed by combining lactams with sulphonic acids. This work weighs up the relative benefits and disadvantages of applying these Brønsted acidic ionic liquid catalysts in esterifications through a series of comparisons using green chemistry metrics.