Preparation of ethylenediamine derivatives

A process of preparingn a derivative of a 1,2-diamioethane of the formula ##STR9## wherein R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 are each independently hydrogen, C.sub.1 -C.sub.20 alkyl, C.sub.3 -C.sub.12 cycloalkyl, C.sub.7 -C.sub.15 aralkyl, unsubstituted or substituted aryl or heteroaryl, or alternatively, R1 and R.sub.2, R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 together with the carbon atom to which they are attached form a 3 to 12 member cycloalkyl group, or with a heteroatom form a 3 to 12 member heterocyclic group, optionally including oxygen, sulfur, or phosphorus as the heteroatom, and A together with N forms an amido, a carbamate, an ureido, a sulfonamido, or a sulfamido group, which process comprises:

• reacting and acid radical halide (AX) with a N-benzyl 2-nitropropylamine to produce the intermediate N-benzyl N-substituted 2-nitropropylamine;
• hydrogenating the compound so formed at medium pressure using Pd/C as a catalyst to produce the N-substituted derivatives of 1,2-diaminoethanes.