Patent ID: 8053589

Claim:
A process for the preparation of a reactive electron deficient olefin, steps of which comprise: (a) providing: an imine within structure II: wherein R 1 -R 2 are each independently selected from the group consisting of H, alkenyl, and alkynyl; and R 3 is a hydrocarbon moiety comprising a tertiary carbon which is attached to the N atom, wherein the tertiary carbon atom is attached to or part of one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of linear, branched, and cyclic, or one or more together form a cyclic or polycyclic (as the case may be) structure, which itself(themselves) may have substituents attached thereto; and a compound containing a methylene linkage having at least one electron withdrawing substituent attached thereto, wherein the electron withdrawing substituent is selected from the group consisting of nitrile, carboxylic acids, carboxylic esters, sulphonic acids, ketones and nitro; (b) reacting the imine of structure II and the compound under appropriate conditions and for a time sufficient to yield a reactive electron deficient olefin; and performing one of 1. step (c), 2. steps (c) and (d), or 3. step (e), as follows (c) separating from the reaction mixture of step (b) the so formed reactive electron deficient olefin to yield the reactive electron deficient olefin; (d) reacting an amine formed in reaction step (b) and following separation step (c) with formaldehyde or a source thereof to reform the imine of structure II; (e) repeating steps (b) through (d), wherein the imine is an ionic liquid having a melting point less than 100° C., which in its molten form contains only ions.