The ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methyl-imidazolium hydrogen sulfate,[bmim] HSO4, efficiently catalyzes Paal–Knorr furan synthesis without any organic solvent. A wide range of aliphatic and aromatic 1, 4-diketones easily undergo condensations to form furan derivatives, providing a general and convenient procedure. The Paal–Knorr reaction of ester-substituted 1, 4-diketones is first reported. The ionic liquid can be recovered and reused for ...