The preparation of two ionic Hoveyda's type catalysts with an ionic chain, containing an imidazolium salt tag link to the ortho oxygen atom (11) and to the meta-position (12) of the styrenylidene ligand is presented. The catalysts are evaluated in ionic liquid medium: the 1-butyl-3-methyl and 1-butyl-2,3-dimethyl imidazolium salts (bmim)X-+(-) (X=PF6-, NTf2- (bistrifluoromethylsulfonimide)) for RCM of N,N-diallyltosylamide and dimethyldiallylmalonate. The catalysts show good activity for the first cycle with moderate recyclability. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.