A novel and efficient procedure for the preparation of benzyl alcohol by hydrolysis of benzyl chloride catalyzed by PEG1000-DAIL[BF4]/Fe2(SO4)3 under homogeneous catalysis in aqueous media

In this work, benzyl alcohol was obtained in 96% excellent yield by hydrolysis of benzyl chloride catalyzed by the recyclable temperature-dependant phase-separation system that comprised the ionic liquid PEG1000-DAIL[BF4], toluene and ferric sulfate under homogeneous catalysis in aqueous media. This novel method not only enhanced the yield, but also made the operating units easy workup. The catalytic system can be recycled or reused without any significant loss of catalytic activity. The mechanism of hydrolysis reaction and the process of catalysis in the thermoregulated ionic liquid bi-phase system were also proposed.