Method for synthesizing amines

A process for preparing amines of the formula (1),

• in which
• m is 1, 2 or 3, wherein
• when m is 1
• R1 is an aliphatic C1-60 hydrocarbon radical or C4-60 hydrocarbon radical that contains at least one cycloaliphatic or aromatic ring, said C1-60 or C4-60 hydrocarbon radical optionally containing one or more heteroatoms independently selected from the group consisting of nitrogen (N), oxygen (O), and sulfur (S), and
• R2 is hydrogen (H), C1-6 alkyl or phenyl,
• or
• R1, R2 together are —(CH2)j—Y—(CH2)k—, where Y is methylene, oxygen (O), sulfur (S), or NR3 (where R3 is C1-4 alkyl) and j and k are independently an integer from 1 to 4,
• when m is 2 or 3
• R1 is a di- or trivalent C4-20 hydrocarbon radical that contains at least one cycloaliphatic or aromatic ring, said hydrocarbon radical optionally containing one or more heteroatoms independently selected from the group consisting of nitrogen (N), oxygen (O), and sulfur (S), and
• R2 is hydrogen (H), C1-6 alkyl or phenyl, and
• R4 and R5 are independently hydrogen (H) or C1-16 alkyl,
• R6 and R7 are independently hydrogen (H) or C1-4 alkyl,
• comprising the steps of
• A. reacting an amino alcohol of the formula (2)
• with a carbonyl compound of the formula (3)
• and subsequent hydrogenation of the resulting reaction product with hydrogen (H2) on a heterogeneous hydrogenation catalyst to form an intermediate of the formula (4)
• B. reacting the intermediate obtained in step 1 with an amine component of the formula (5)
• in the presence of hydrogen (H2) and a heterogeneous hydrogenation catalyst to form a corresponding amine of the formula (1),
• where m and the radicals R′, R2, R4, R5, R6, and R7 in the formulas (2) to (5) are as defined in formula (1).