Process for preparing 1, 6-hexanediol

US8889922B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• E.I. DU PONT DE NEMOURS AND COMPANY · US

Inventors

• Alan Martin Allgeier · Wilmington, US
• David Richard Corbin · New Castle, US
• Wathudura Indika Namal De Silva · Rahway, US
• Ekaterini Korovessi · Wilmington, US
• Carl Andrew Menning · Newark, US
• Joachim C. Ritter · Wilmington, US
• Sourav Kumar Sengupta · Wilmington, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 28, 2012
• Grant date: Nov 18, 2014
• Expiry date: Dec 28, 2032

Classification

• Technology area (CPC C): Chemistry; Metallurgy
• CPC primary: C07D309/10
• WIPO field: Organic fine chemistry
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

Disclosed are processes for preparing 1,6-hexanediol from levoglucosenone. In one embodiment, the process comprises contacting levoglucosenone with hydrogen in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst comprising palladium, platinum/tungsten, nickel/tungsten, rhodium/rhenium, or mixtures thereof at a first temperature between about 50° C. and 100° C. and at a first reaction pressure between about 50 psi and 2000 psi for a first reaction period, and at a second temperature between about 120° C. and 250° C. and at a second pressure between about 500 psi and 2000 psi for a second reaction period to form a product mixture comprising 1,6-hexanediol, wherein the first reaction period is the amount of time in which the levoglucosenone has a conversion of at least about 95%.