Preparation of N-(aminoalkyl)piperazine

A process for producing an N-(aminoalkyl)piperazine compound directly from a piperazine compound selected from piperazine and C-(substituted) piperazine wherein the substituents are alkyl radicals having from 1 to 5 carbon atoms and a primary or secondary aminoalkanol compound having a primary hydroxy group of the formula:

• ##STR3## wherein R is a branched or straight chain alkyl radical having from 2 to 10 carbon atoms and R.sub.2 is hydrogen or an alkyl radical having from 1 to about 4 carbon atoms, comprising the steps of:
• contacting said piperazine compound with said alkanolamine compound in the presence of a catalytically effective amount of a phosphorus-containing substance selected from the group consisting of acidic metal phosphates, phosphoric acids and their anhydrides, or phosphorous acids and their anhydrides, alkyl or aryl phosphate esters, alkyl or aryl phosphite esters, alkyl or aryl substituted phosphorous acids and phosphoric acids, alkali metal monosalts of phosphoric acid, the thioanalogs of the foregoing, and mixtures thereof at temperatures of from about 250.degree. to about 350.degree. C. under a pressure sufficient to maintain the mixture essentially in liquid phase;
• and,
• recovering the N-(aminoalkyl)piperazine thus produced from the resultant reaction mixture.