Process for making pyrrolidones
AssigneeArco Chemical Technology, L.P.
InventorsRoger A. Grey, Diandre Armstead
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Abstract
A cyclocarbonylation process for making pyrrolidones under mild temperature and pressure conditions is disclosed. In the process, an allylic amine reacts with carbon monoxide in the presence of a rhodium carbonyl catalyst and an amount of a pyridine promoter effective to enhance the yield of pyrrolidone obtained in the process compared with the yield obtained in the absence of the promoter. The process can be used to make N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone from N-methylallylamine.
Claims18
A cyclocarbonylation process for making a pyrrolidone, said process comprising reacting an allylic amine of the structure;
- ##STR4## in which each of R, R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3, R.sub.4, and R.sub.5 separately represents hydrogen or a linear, branched, or cyclic C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 alkyl, aryl, or aralkyl group;
- except that at least one of R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 is hydrogen, and at least one of R.sub.4 and R.sub.5 is hydrogen;
- with carbon monoxide in the presence of a rhodium carbonyl catalyst and a pyridine promoter to produce the pyrrolidone, wherein the promoter is used in an amount effective to enhance the yield of the pyrrolidone compared with the yield of pyrrolidone obtained in the absence of the promoter.
A cyclocarbonylation process for making N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, said process comprising reacting N-methylallylamine with carbon monoxide in the presence of a rhodium carbonyl catalyst and a pyridine promoter to produce N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, wherein the promoter is used in an amount effective to enhance the yield of the N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone compared with the yield of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone obtained in the absence of the promoter.
A cyclocarbonylation process for making N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, said process comprising reacting N-methylallylamine with carbon monoxide at a pressure within the range of about 3 to about 20 atmospheres in the presence of Rh.sub.6 (CO).sub.16 and a pyridine promoter selected from the group consisting of pyridine and (dialkylamino)pyridines to produce N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, wherein the promoter is used in an amount effective to enhance the yield of the N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone compared with the yield of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone obtained in the absence of the promoter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.