Compositions of matter from unsaturated nitriles

A method of producing a composition of matter having the molecular structure [I]

• the method comprising;
• (a) feeding an unsaturated organonitrile, a hydroxy-amine, and optionally, a solvent to a first reaction zone,
• (b) maintaining the temperature and pressure in the first reaction zone for time sufficient to obtain a hydroxy-aminonitrile of the molecular structure [II]:
• (c) feeding the hydroxy-aminonitrile obtained from step b) to a second reaction zone, and
• (d) maintaining the reaction conditions in the second reaction zone for time sufficient for functionalizing the hydroxy-aminonitrile of the molecular structure [II] to obtain a composition of matter of the molecular structure [I]:
• wherein,
• R1 is an alkyl, cycloalkyl, or aralkyl group having ≥1 to ≤10 carbon atoms which optionally comprises unsaturated fractions;
• R2—is selected from the group consisting of an aliphatic C1-C10 group, an unsaturated C2-C10 chain, a C4-C9 group with a cyclic portion, a C4-C10 group with an aromatic portion, and combinations thereof;
• R3 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, an aliphatic C1-C10 chain, an unsaturated C2-C10 chain, a C4-C10 group with a cyclic portion and a C4-C10 group with an aromatic portion, and combinations thereof, and
• R4 is a terminal functional group selected from the group consisting of amide [—CONH2], acid [—COOH], amine [—CH2—NH2], guanamine [—(C3N3)—(NH2)2], organic heterocyclic [—CHN4], and combinations thereof;