We report a quantitative comparison of the rates of nucleophilic reactions in ionic liquids and molecular
solvents taking place at a cationic center. Cationic sulfonium electrophiles were reacted with three amine
nucleophiles (n-butylamine, di-n-butylamine, and tri-n-butylamine) in several molecular solvents (toluene,
dichloromethane, tetrahydrofuran, acetonitrile, and methanol) and ionic liquids {1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium
bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide, 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium trifluoromethanesulfonate, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide, and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium trifluoromethanesulfonate}. The solvent effects on these reactions are examined using a linear solvation energy relationship
based on the Kamlet−Taft solvent scales (α, β, and π*). These correlations reveal that hydrogen-bonding
interactions provide the dominant effects in determining the rate of reaction. In particular, hydrogen bonds
donated by the sulfonium electrophile to the solvent are the most important controlling factor on the rate of
nucleophilic reaction.