Method for accelerating oxime production

Abstract

A method for preparing oximes where an aldehyde or ketone is reacted with hydroxylamine or its salt in the presence of a catalytic amount of an organotin(IV) compound such as monoalkyltin(IV), dialkyltin(IV) and aryltin(IV). The organotin(IV) compound is represented by the formula I: (R.sup.1).sub.n SnX.sub.m-n (I) where R.sup.1 is independently selected from alkyl of 1 to 18 carbons or aryl, X is halogen, oxygen, hydroxyl, OR.sup.1, R.sup.2 CO.sub.2 --, R.sup.2 O.sub.2 C--(Z).sub.y --CO.sub.2 -- or R.sup.2 CO.sub.2 (CH.sub.2).sub.y S--, R.sup.2 is alkyl of 1 to 18 carbons or aryl, Z is selected from CH.sub.2 or CH.dbd.CH, where y is 0 to 6, n is 1 or 2 and m is 4 except that when X is oxygen, n is 2 and m is 3. Exemplary of the organotin(IV) compounds are butyltin tris(2-ethylhexanoate), dibutyltin diacetate and diphenyltin dichloride.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.