A facile and economical procedure for the synthesis of maleimide derivatives using an acidic ionic liquid as a catalyst

Seven maleimide derivatives were synthesized in good yields and high purity from the corresponding maleamic acids using a Bronsted acidic room temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) as a catalyst. The products were obtained through merely a decanting and removal of the solvent, suggesting that this procedure is superior to the conventional routes, in which the strong organic/inorganic acids were used as the catalysts, as well as a complicated post-processing procedure for the separation and purification of the products was employed. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.