Process of preparing carboxylic acid amides

A process of preparing a carboxylic acid amide which comprises reacting (a) an aldehyde selected from the group consisting of formaldehyde;

• acetaldehyde;
• propionaldehyde;
• pivalinaldehyde;
• caprylaldehyde;
• acrolein;
• methacrolein;
• benzaldehyde;
• tolualdehyde;
• cinnamaldehyde;
• furfural;
• pyridinealdehyde;
• thiophenealdehyde;
• pyrrolealdehyde;
• benzaldehyde, tolualdehyde and cinnamaldehyde whose aromatic ring is substituted with a halogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms, a haloalkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms or an alkoxy group;
• furfural, pyridinealdehyde, thiophenealdehyde and pyrrolealdehyde whose heterocyclic ring is substituted with an alkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms or a haloalkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms;
• glyoxal and glutardialdehyde, with (b) at least one compound selected from the group consisting of ammonia, methylamine, ethylamine, propylamine, isopropylamine, butylamine, cyclopentylamine, cyclohexylamine, aniline, toluidine, naphthylamine, benzylamine, xylidenediamine, primary amines having a penicillin skeleton or a cephalosporin skeleton, dimethylamine, diethylamine, di-n-propylamine, methylethylamine, methylaniline, ethylaniline, piperidine, piperazine, pyrazoline, pyrrolidine, pyroline, and primary and secondary amines having as a substituent a halogen atom, an alkyl group or an alkoxy group, by introducing a molecular oxygen- containing gas in the presence of a catalytic amount of palladium metal or platinum metal at a reaction temperature of from about 0.degree. C. to about 200.degree. C.