1-Butyl-3-methylimidazolium hydrogen carbonate ([BMIm][HCO3]), prepared from the reaction of [BMIm] Cl with K2CO3 in methanol, exhibits high activity for the carbonylation of amines to produce formamides. Computational calculation results on the carbonylation reaction of methylamine implies that such high activity of [BMIm][HCO3] could be ascribed to the bi-functional actions of [HCO3]− as a hydrogen atom acceptor and a donor.
