Ionic liquid-promoted dehydration of aldoximes: a convenient access to aromatic, heteroaromatic and aliphatic nitriles

A simple and convenient procedure for the synthesis of nitriles by dehydration of aldoximes using an ionic liquid, 1-pentyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate, [pmim]BF4 under organic solvent-free condition, has been developed. A variety of aromatic, heteroaromatic and aliphatic aldoximes are converted to the corresponding nitriles. The ionic liquid is recovered and reused for subsequent reactions.