Process for the preparation of cyclopropylamine

US6107522A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Degussa-Huels AG · DE

Inventors

• Wolfgang Kleemiss · Haltern, DE
• Marcel Feld · Cologne, DE
• Manfred Kaufhold · Marl, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 9, 1999
• Grant date: Aug 22, 2000
• Expiry date: Jul 9, 2019

Classification

• Technology area (CPC C): Chemistry; Metallurgy
• CPC primary: C07C2601/02
• WIPO field: Organic fine chemistry
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

Cyclopropylamine is prepared from butyrolactone by a process comprising: PA1 (a) reacting butyrolactone with hydrogen chloride, thereby yielding chlorobutyric acid, (b) esterifying said chlorobutyric acid with a primary or secondary alcohol having 4-8 carbon atoms, (c) cyclizing the ester with an alkali metal alcoholate of a primary alcohol having 1-3 carbon atoms to give a mixture of cyclopropanecarboxylic acid esters, (d) converting the cyclopropanecarboxylic acid ester mixture into cyclopropanecarboxylic acid amide by reacting the ester mixture with ammonia, and (e) reacting said cyclopropanecarboxylic acid amide with hypohalite ion in a basic medium, thereby forming cyclopropylamine.