Process for preparing cyclic amides

A process for the synthesis of a cyclic amide which comprises contacting in liquid phase an acetic acid of the formula ##STR32## wherein R is an optionally substituted 1 to 15 carbon atom alkyl, or 6 to 20 carbon atom aryl or alkaryl with an aromatic aminocarbonyl compound of the formula ##STR33## wherein R.sub.1 is hydrogen or an optionally substituted 1 to 10 carbon atom alkyl chain, R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 independently are selected from arkaryls, hydrogens, 1 to 10 carbon alkyls, aryls cycloalkyls and R.sub.4 is selected from hydrogen, alkyls of from 1 to 8 carbons, and aryls, alkaryls and aralkyls of from 6 to 10 carbons, under effective reaction conditions including acetic acid to amino carbonyl component mole ratio of 3:1 to 1:3, a temperature of from 20.degree. C. to 125.degree. C. and a reaction time of from 5 minutes to 4 hours with a promoting amount of a metal selected from titanium (IV) and silicon (IV) and a pyridine compound thereby forming a reaction product containing said cyclic amide and recovering said cyclic amide from said reaction product.

The process for preparing an anthrapyridone of the formula ##STR34## which comprises contacting phenyl acetic acid with 1-amino-4-bromo-2-methyl anthraquinone in essentially equimolar proportions with from 0.33 to 10 moles of titanium (IV) per mole of the anthraquinone, and from 2 to 25 moles of pyridine per mole of titanium (IV) in liquid phase at a temperature of from 20.degree. C. to 125.degree. C. for from 5 minutes to 4 hours, thereby forming a reaction product containing the anthrapyridone and thereafter recovering the anthrapyridone from said reaction product.