Process for the production of 1,2-diols

US4482760A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Degussa AG · DE

Inventors

• Axel Kleemann · Hanau, DE
• Klaus Deller · Großkrotzenburg, DE
• Karlheinz Drauz · Alzenau, DE
• Bernd Lehmann · Cologne, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Nov 16, 1983
• Grant date: Nov 13, 1984
• Expiry date: Nov 16, 2003

Classification

• Technology area (CPC C): Chemistry; Metallurgy
• CPC primary: C07C29/00
• WIPO field: Organic fine chemistry
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

1,2-Diols of the formula: ##STR1## where R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are hydrogen, alkyl of 1 to 10 carbon atoms or such as alkyl substituted by a halogen, a hydroxy group, a phenyl group, a methoxy group, or an ethoxy group, a phenyl group or a furyl group or R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 together form an alkylene group of 2 to 7 carbon atoms are formed by hydrogenating a correspondingly substituted cyanohydrin in an aqueous medium first in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst and an acid at a temperature between -20.degree. and +25.degree. C. and a hydrogen pressure of less than 10 bar until per mole of cyanohydrin employed there is taken up one mole of hydrogen and then the hydrogenation continued to the end of the absorption of hydrogen in the presence of metallic nickel at a temperature between 30.degree. and 100.degree. C. and a hydrogen pressure between 10 and 150 bar.