The integration of a free metal complex, Pd(phen)2+, and a room temperature ionic liquid (IL) solvent molecule, 1-decyl-3-methyl imidazolium bromide, into a complete catalytically active site and confined in a NaY zeolite super-cage with an appropriate spatial arrangement was investigated. This integration was achieved through a molecular self-assembly method. A preliminary test of this catalyst system for the carbonylation of aniline to methyl phenyl carbamate indicated that far higher catalytic activity could be achieved (TOF increased from 3 000 to 23 000 h–1) with far lower amounts of the IL solvent and the Pd complex in comparison with a simple mixture of Pd(phen)Cl2/IL/NaY as the catalyst. This new system can also be applied to other areas of catalysis.

Key words: active site; ionic liquid; metal complex; carbonylation; aniline; phenyl methyl carbamate; turnover frequency

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