Patent ID: 8664460

Claim:
A process for the selective oligomerisation of C 2 to C 20 linear or branched alkenes, wherein the reaction takes place in the presence of a indium(III) chloride ionic liquid of formula: [Cat + ][X]:InCl 3 wherein: Cat + is: a cationic species selected from imidazolium, pyridinium, pyrazolium, thiazolium, isothiazolinium, oxothiazolium, oxazinium, oxasolium, dithiazolium, triazolium, selenozolium, oxaphospholium, furanium, thiophenium, phospholium, pentazolium, indolium, indolinium, iso-oxazolium, iso-triazolium, tetrazolium, benzofuranium, thiadiazolium, pyrimidinium, pyrazinium, pyridazinium, piperazinium, piperidinium, morpholinium, pyranium, phthalazinium, quinazolinium, quinolinium, isoquinolinium, oxazinium, and pyrrolidinium, diazabicycloundecenium, diazabicyclononenium, diazabicyclodecenium, or triazadecenium; [N(R a )(R b )(R c )(R d )] + ; or [P(R a )(R b )(R c )(R d )] + wherein R a , R b , R c , and R d can be the same or different, and are each independently selected from C 1 to C 40 , straight chain or branched alkyl group, a C 3 to C 8 cycloalkyl group, or a C 6 to C 10 aryl group, wherein said alkyl, cycloalkyl or aryl groups are unsubstituted or may be substituted by one to three groups selected from: C 1 to C 6 alkoxy, C 1 to C 6 alkoxy, C 6 to C 10 aryl, CN, OH, NO 2 , C 7 to C 30 aralkyl and C 7 to C 30 alkaryl; X is an anionic species; wherein the mole fraction of InCl 3 in the ionic liquid is greater than or equal to 0.50; wherein the ionic liquid is supported on a solid support and wherein the reaction is selective for the formation of dimers, trimers, and/or tetramers.