Selective N-Alkylation of Imidazole with Alcohols over Calcined Layered Double Hydroxides

Abstract
Vapor-phase N-alkylation syntheses of imidazole were carried out with MeOH and EtOH over a series of calcined MgII–AlIII layered double hydroxides (LDHs) selectively produced in high yields of N-methyl (70%) and N-ethyl (63%) imidazoles only on the 3 : 1 atomic ratio of MgII–AlIII calcined LDH. Attempts on C-alkylation and dialkylation reactions over the same catalysts proved to be unsuccessful.