Due to their exceptional chemical and physical properties, Lewis acidic ionic liquids (LAILs) have become efficient alternatives to traditional Lewis acid catalysts in a num- ber of organic reactions. However, LAILs have some important disadvantages, includ- ing the need for a precise method for product separation and catalyst recovery, as well as the need to often use a large amount of IL in two-phase systems. The latter would raise concerns about toxicological and economic issues. Solid-supported ionic liquids have greatly contributed to overcoming these challenges due to their desirable character- istics for handling, recycling and separation.
