Amination of aromatic hydrocarbons and heterocyclic analogs thereof

US6933409B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignees

• Symyx Technologies, Inc. · US
• BAYER HEALTHCARE LLC · DE

Inventors

• Damodara M. Poojary · Cupertino, US
• Ramesh B. Borade · Livermore, US
• Alfred Hagemeyer · Sunnyvale, US
• Xiao Ping Zhou · Waltham, US
• Christopher E. Dube · Lexington, US
• Ulrich Notheis · Dormagen, DE
• Ralph Armbrust · Dormagen, DE
• Christian Rasp · Cologne, DE
• David M. Lowe · Sunnyvale, US

Key dates

• Filing date: May 15, 2000
• Grant date: Aug 23, 2005
• Expiry date: May 15, 2020

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02P20/582
• WIPO field: Organic fine chemistry
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

Noble metal/reducible metal oxide catalysts effective for the direct amination of aromatic hydrocarbons and heterocyclic analogs thereof are disclosed. In one embodiment, the cataloxidant comprises a noble metal selected from Pd, Rh, Ir and/or Ru and a reducible metal oxide. In another embodiment, the cataloxidant comprises a noble metal and a reducible oxide of a metal selected from Ni, Mn, V, Ce, Th, Pr, Te, Re, Co, Fe, Cu and/or Bi. A preferred cataloxidant comprises one or more noble metals selected from Pd, Rh, Ir and/or Ru, in combination with nickel oxide and/or manganese oxide. In preferred applications, benzene can be aminated in the presence of the cataloxidants to form aniline. A benzene conversion of at least 5% is achieved, with more than 90% selectivity for aniline. Significantly, the cataloxidant can be regenerated without a substantial loss of performance.