Macrocyclic oxamides

Abstract

Macrocyclic oxamides may be made easily, in good yield and in one step by reacting an oxalic compound, such as oxalic acid or oxalic esters, with a diamine, where the amine groups are separated by at least five atoms. The oxalic compounds may include, but are not limited to such materials as dimethyl oxalate and diethyl oxalate. The diamines may include, but are not limited to such materials as alkylenediamines; polyalkylene glycol diamines; alkyl-bis-(aminoalkyl)amines; imino bis-(alkyl)amines; and N,N' bis-(aminoalkyl)-N,N'-dialkylalkylenediamines and bis-(aminoalkyl)piperazines; and mixtures thereof. The macrocyclic oxamides made by this process may be used to selectively separate metal ions from solution, or complexed together with a metal ion act as a catalyst.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.