Preparation of aromatic or heteroaromatic nitriles

US5952262A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• BASF SE

Inventors

• Lothar Karrer · Ludwigshafen, DE
• Frank-Friedrich Pape · Kleinniedesheim, DE
• Heinz-Josef Kneuper · Mannheim, DE
• Michael Hullmann · Bensheim, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 30, 1996
• Grant date: Sep 14, 1999
• Expiry date: Sep 30, 2016

Classification

• Technology area (CPC C): Chemistry; Metallurgy
• CPC primary: C07C253/28
• WIPO field: Chemical engineering
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

Preparation of aromatic or heteroaromatic nitrites of the formula I ##STR1## where X is nitrogen or C-R.sup.6 and all of the R substituents represent hydrogen, alkyl, halogen, nitro, amino or similar groups, provided at least one substituent is a cyano or alkylcyano group. The nitrites I are produced by reacting aromatic or heteroaromatic hydrocarbons of the formula II ##STR2## where X is nitrogen or C-R.sup.6, provided at least one substituent is C.sub.1 -C.sub.8 -alkyl, with ammonia and oxygen at 200 to 600.degree. C. under a pressure of 0.1 to 5 bar in the gas phase over a supported catalyst containing 0.5 to 20% by weight of vanadium oxide. The supported catalyst consists of from 2 to 30 particle fractions whose mean diameters differ by from 10 to 80% and the supporting carrier of the catalyst has a bulk density of 0.6 to 1.2 kg/liter.