Process for preparing 4-aminodiphenylamine intermediates

A method of producing one or more 4-aminodiphenylamine intermediates comprising the steps of:

• (a) bringing an aniline or aniline derivative and nitrobenzene into reactive contact;
• and
• (b) reacting the aniline and nitrobenzene in a confined zone at a suitable time and temperature, in the presence of a mixture comprising an inorganic salt or metal organic salt, or mixtures thereof, having a cation that would be a suitable cation of a strong inorganic base, an oxidant and one or more of an organic base selected from the group of compounds defined by:
• where R1, R2, R3 are the same or different and selected from any straight chain or branched alkyl group containing from 1 to about 20 carbon atoms, e is a whole number integer of value 0, 1, 2 or 3, (R4)e is hydrogen for e=0, R4 is R1R2R3N+ for e=1, 2, or 3, X is an anion capable of abstracting a proton from the nitrogen of an aniline or aniline derivative, Y is alkyl, aryl , alkyl aryl or benzyl and substituted derivatives thereof, Z is a substituent selected from the group consisting of hydroxyl, halo, and other hetero atoms, where a=the valence of the anionic moiety and is a whole number integer of 1, 2, 3 or 4, b and c are whole number integers of value 1, 2, 3 or 4 and d is a whole number integer of value 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4, said mixture not including a reaction product of betaine and a strong inorganic base.