Oligomerisation with indium (III) chloride

A process for the selective oligomerisation of C2 to C20 linear or branched alkenes, wherein the reaction takes place in the presence of a indium(III) chloride ionic liquid of formula:

• [Cat+][X]:InCl3
• 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(Ra)(Rb)(Rc)(Rd)]+;
• or [P(Ra)(Rb)(Rc)(Rd)]+
• wherein Ra, Rb, Rc, and Rd can be the same or different, and are each independently selected from C1 to C40, straight chain or branched alkyl group, a C3 to C8 cycloalkyl group, or a C6 to C10 aryl group, wherein said alkyl, cycloalkyl or aryl groups are unsubstituted or may be substituted by one to three groups selected from:
• C1 to C6 alkoxy, C1 to C6 alkoxy, C6 to C10 aryl, CN, OH, NO2, C7 to C30 aralkyl and C7 to C30 alkaryl;
• X is an anionic species;
• wherein the mole fraction of InCl3 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.