Abstract: The chloroaluminate ionic liquid, composed of AlCl3 and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (［bmim］Cl), is used as the solvent and catalyst to synthesize α-hydroxy esters from alkene and glyoxylate via the glyoxylate-ene reaction. Under the reaction conditions of 15 ℃, 4 h, and AlCl3/［bmim］Cl molar ratio of 2, the ethyl α-hydroxy-4-phenyl-4-pentenoate with high yield (95.2%) is obtained in the reaction of α-methyl styrene and ethyl glyoxylate. Other α-hydroxy esters can also be obtained in high yields through the glyoxylate-ene reaction. Moreover, the chloroaluminate ionic liquid can be reused several times.

Key words: glyoxylate-ene reaction, ionic liquid, α-hydroxy ester, aluminium chloride, glyoxylate