Conversion of Alcohols to Esters by Homogeneous Cascade Catalysis in Ionic Liquids

Esters are highly sought-after compounds in the chemical, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic sectors. An innovative alternative to the esterification of the corresponding acids is the alkoxycarbonylation of olefins. This reaction is highly versatile and efficient, offering significant atom economy, especially when olefins are derived from the dehydration of bio-based alcohols. Interestingly, the catalysts used for both alcohol dehydration and alkoxycarbonylation, along with their operating conditions, highlight the potential to combine these two reactions into a single, integrated process in the form of cascade reactions.
To further develop this process, this PhD project proposes implementing catalytic systems in non-aqueous ionic liquids. These liquids possess unique structural characteristics that confer exceptional physicochemical properties. Considered as "fully tunable" solvents, ionic liquids allow precise adjustments of properties such as polarity, hydrophobicity, viscosity, or coordination ability through the appropriate selection of the cation-anion pair, making them highly promising for catalyst immobilization and recycling.
The objectives of this PhD work will lead to: (i) improving our understanding of acid catalysis in ionic liquids through the study of alcohol dehydration reactions, (ii) defining new systems for the alkoxycarbonylation of olefins in ionic liquids, and (iii) exploring new implementations of these reactions both in a liquid/liquid biphasic system and in a supported version.

Keywords: Dehydration of alcohols, Olefins alkoxycarbonylation, Ionic liquids

• Academic supervisor    Dr. Pascal RAYBAUD (IFPEN, Lyon), pascal.raybaud@ifpen.fr, ORCID : 0000-0003-4506-5062
• Doctoral School    ED 206 (Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon)
• IFPEN supervisor    Dr. Lionel MAGNA, ORCID : 0000-0003-3050-6144
• PhD location    85% at IFPEN Lyon (France) and 15% at DTU (Denmark, Prof A. Riisager)
• Duration and start date    3 years, starting in the fourth quarter 2026 (Novembre 3)
• Employer    IFPEN
• Academic requirements    University master’s degree in chemistry or equivalent
• Language requirements    Fluency in English (C1), willingness to learn French
• Other requirements    Organometallic chemistry, coordination chemistry, homogeneous catalysis, analytical techniques, theoretical calculations...

To apply, please send your cover letter and CV to the IFPEN supervisor indicated here below.