Synthesis of pyridine and 3-alkylpyridine

In a process which comprises reacting ammonia and a carbonyl reactant selected from the group consisting of formaldehyde, aldehydes containing from 2 to 4 carbon atoms, and ketones containing from 3 to 5 carbon atoms, or mixtures thereof under suitable reaction conditions of temperature, pressure, and space velocity to produce a product comprising pyridine and 3-alkylpyridine in the presence of a catalyst comprising synthetic porous crystalline material, the improvement wherein said catalyst comprises an active form of synthetic porous crystalline MCM-49 or synthetic porous crystalline material characterized by an X-ray diffraction pattern including interplanar d-spacings at 12.36.+-.0.4, 11.03.+-.0.2, 8.83.+-.0.14, 6.18.+-.0.12, 6.00.+-.0.10, 4.06.+-.0.07, 3.91.+-.0.07, and 3.42.+-.0.06 Angstroms, said reaction conditions including a temperature of from about 285.degree. C. to about 600.degree. C., a pressure of from about 0.2 atmosphere to about 20 atmospheres, and a gas hourly space velocity of from about 200 hr.sup.-1 to about 20,000 hr.sup.-1.