Abstract:
A process which comprises contacting and catalytically reacting under essentially anhydrous conditions in the liquid phase an amide with a nitrile according to the equation: RCONH₂ + R¹CN → RCN + R¹CONH₂ where R and R₁ are not the same and are each selected from (1) H, hydrocarbyl, a hydrocarbyl group substituted with: one or more of F, Cl, Br, I, amido, cyano, formyl, hydrocarbylcarbonyl, hydrocarbyloxy, hydrocarbyloxycarbonyl, hydrocarbylcarbonyloxy and dihydrocarbylamino, and (2) any of group (1) where one or more H atoms are substituted by a deuterium atom.
Abstract:
In the process of hydrocarboxylating an α-enamide with CO and H₂O or an organic hydroxyl compound to produce an N-acyl-α-amino acid or ester, respectively, the improvement comprising using as the α-enamide reactant, an α-enamide which has a chiral center that is essentially all L or D, thereby producing a reaction mixture containing diastereomeric N-acyl-α-amino acids or esters having two chiral centers, said mixture having essentially no enantiomeric pairs.
Abstract:
In the process of hydrocarboxylating an α-enamide with CO and an organic hydroxyl compound to produce a N-acyl-α-amino acid ester, the improvement comprising using as the organic hydroxyl compound reactant, an organic hydroxyl compound which has a chiral center that is essentially all L or D, thereby producing a reaction mixture having essentially no enantiomeric pairs and containing diastereomeric N-acyl-α-amino acid esters having two chiral centers.
Abstract:
A method of producing stabilized crude acetonitrile (i.e. acetonitrile which has been treated to substantially eliminate polymerization of the acetonitrile upon vaporization) which comprises mixing crude acetonitrile, a strong base and aldehyde together, heating to the reflux temperature of the mixture to stabilize the crude acetonitrile and recovering the stabilize acetonitrile. This stabilized acetonitrile is utilized to manufacture hydrogen cyanide.
Abstract:
Disclosed is a process for making ethylamines by the hydrogenation in a reaction zone of acetonitrile contained in a basic aqueous solution which also contains HCN, which comprises continuously passing hydrogen gas in contact with a flowing steam containing acetonitrile, water and HCN, which stream is in contact with a solid hydrogenation catalyst, wherein the hydrogen contact time is in the range from 0.5 seconds to 20 minutes and the molar ratio of H 2 to acetonitrile charged to said reaction zone is in the range 2-200:1.
Abstract:
This invention relates to acetonitrile purification via an adsorption-based process. The process comprises pretreating the acetonitrile containing organic impurities such as unsaturated nitriles with a solid reagent to selectively convert the unsaturated nitriles into products more easily removed and passing the treated acetonitrile through a series of adsorbent beds to remove the resulting products and other impurities present from the acetonitrile.