Patent ID: 8916728
Filing Date: 2014-12-23
Classification: C07C

Abstract:
1. A process for preparing alkylalkanolamines of formula (A): wherein: R R R and R′, which may be identical or different, are each chosen from a hydrogen atom, an alkyl, hydroxyalkyl, alkoxy, alkylamino, dialkylamino or alkoxyalkyl radical, where alkyl is a linear or branched hydrocarbon-based chain containing from 1 to 10 carbon atoms, and a cycloalkyl radical containing from 3 to 9 carbon atoms, with the restriction that R and R′ cannot each simultaneously represent a hydrogen atom; or else R and R′ together form, with the carbon atom which bears them, a saturated or totally or partially unsaturated mono-, bi- or polycyclic radical optionally comprising one or more heteroatoms chosen from oxygen, sulfur and nitrogen, said process comprising a step of reductive amination, in the presence of hydrogen and a catalyst, of a carbonyl compound of formula (1) with a hydroxyalkylamine of formula (2): in which R, R′, R 1 and R 2 are as defined above, wherein the hydroxyalkylamine of formula (2) is in aqueous solution, and wherein water is formed during and remains present during the reductive amination, and thereby the step of reductive amination is carried out in the presence of water and without a water segregating agent.