PROCESS FOR SYNTHESIZING 2-VINYL-4,6-DIAMINO-S-TRIAZINE

Abstract: 2-Vinyl-4,6-diamino-s-triazine represented by the formula is synthesised by reacting 2-(2'-methylimidazol-1'-yl)-ethyl-­ 4,6-diamino-s-triazine represented by the structural formula with epichlorohydrin represented by the structural formula

Description: This invention relates to a process for synthesizing 2-vinyl-4,6-diamino-s-triazine (to be abbreviated as VT). VT is a compound represented by the following structural formula, and has vinyl-polymerizability. VT has a melting point of 239 to 241°C, and is soluble in hot water but sparingly soluble in hot methanol, hot ethanol and hot acetone. It is almost neutral. When VT is dissolved in hot water and azobisisobutyronitrile is added, a polymer insoluble in hot water is formed. TLC (alumina and silica, EtOH) : Rf = 0.0 NMR (d₆-DMSO) : δ 6.76 (m, 4H), 6.35-6.45 (t, 2H), 5.59-5.72 (q, 1H). Elementary analysis : C 44.28%, H 5.07%, N 50.02%. VT is useful as a comonomer. It is known that when diamino-s-triazine-group is introduced into a side chain of a polymer, the softening point and glass transition point of the polymer become much higher than the original polymer, its specific gravity also increases, and its solubility changes remarkably (see, for example, Seo and Kakurai: Collection of Papers on Polymers (the Japanese-language publication), 32, 308 (1975); T. Seo, K. Abe, H. Honma, T. Kakurai: Polym. Prepn., 20, 661 (1979)). Various methods are already known for the synthesis of VT. They include, for example, the reaction of biguanide with acryloyl chloride (C. G. Overberger et al.: J. A. C. S., 80, 988 (1958)), the reaction of dicyandiamide with β-dimethylamino-propionitrile (Hoechst, French Patent 1,563,255 (1967)), the heating of 1,2-di(4',6'-diamino-s-striazinyl-(2)')-cyclobutane to 320°C under reduced pressure (Asahi Chemical Industry, Co., Ltd.: Japanese Patent Publication NO. 35068/1971), and the heating of 2-β-methoxyethyl-4,6-diamino-s-triazine to 350°C in a stream of nitrogen (Suddeutsche Kalkstickstoff Werke A.G.: German OLS 2,135,881 (1973)). JP-A-19772/85 (US-A-4579946) describes a process for producing VT from a betaine. The intermediate betaine has to be produced by reaction of 2MA and acrylic acid and purified before use. JP-A-216879/84 describes production of VT under reduced pressure from 2MA in the presence of a polymerisation inhibitor, the product being collected as an impure sublimate requiring further purification. None of these prior methods for the synthesis of VT, however, lends itself to industrial-scale practice for one or more reasons. For example, the starting materials are expensive, the reaction operation is complex, or the yield of VT is low. The present inventors have now found that VT can be obtained in a high yield by decomposition of 2-(2'-methylimidazole-1'-yl)ethyl-4,6-diamino-s-triazine by heat characterised in that the reaction is conducted in an aqueous medium in the presence of epichlorohydrin and in the presence of a catalytic amount of a polymerisation inhibitor and further characterised in that 2-vinyl-4,6-diamino-s-triazine is recovered as crystals precipitated from the reaction mixture. This reaction is schematicaly shown as follows:- The starting 2MA in the above reaction is a compound which can be obtained in good yields from acrylonitrile, 2-methylimidazole and dicyandiamide by the method described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 36391/1972. The other starting material, epichlorohydrin, is a compound which is produced in quantities as a material for general-purpose epoxy resins. In one preferred embodiment, a starting mixture composed of 1 mole of 2MA, 1 mole of epichlorohydrin, a small amount (i.e., a catalytic amount) of a polymerization inhibitor such as Na₂S 9H₂0 and a suitable amount of water is heated under reflux for 30 minutes with stirring (when heated, the mixture becomes a complete solution, and then crystals begin to precipitate from it). The resulting reaction mixture is cooled, and the crude product (VT) is collected by filtration. Recrystallization of the crude product in a customary manner gives the final desired product in pure form. Various commercial polymerization inhibitors, such as hydroquinone and sodium sulfide (Na₂S·9H₂0), can be used, but the use of sodium sulfide is most economical. EXAMPLE A starting mixture composed of 0.1 mole (21.9 g) of 2MA, 0.1 mole (9.25 g) of epichlorohydrin, a catalytic amount of sodium sulfide (Na₂S·9H₂0) and 50 mℓ of water was heated under reflux for 30 minutes with stirring. The resulting reaction mixture was cooled, and 0.1 mole (13.7 g; the yield was quantitative) of the crude product (VT) was collected by filtration. Since the crude product showed a melting point of 237 to 240°C which is much the same as the melting point of an authentic sample of VT, it was considered to be VT having a considerably high purity. The crude product was recrystallized from water containing a small amount of sodium sulfide to give 0.076 mole (10.4 g; yield based on 2MA 76 mole%) of the purified product. The product had a melting point of 239 to 241°C. The filtrate left after the recovery of the crude product was neutralized with sodium carbonate. The sodium ion in the neutralized liquid was removed by a sulfonic acid-type ion exchange resin, and then it was concentrated under reduced pressure. The residue was chromatographed on a silica column to give 0.06 mole (9.4 g; yield based on 2MA 60 mole%) of 1-(β,γ-dihydroxy)propyl-2-methylimidazole. 1-(β,γ-Dihydroxy)propyl-2-methylimidazole had the following properties. Melting point: > 250°C Colorless and resinous. Basic. NMR (D₂O) : δ 7.50 (s, 2H(protons at the 4- and 5-positions of imidazole)), 4.34 (m, 5H (propyl group)), 2.72 (s, 3H (methyl group)).

Claims: A process for producing 2-vinyl-4,6-diamino-s-triazine by decomposition of 2-(2'-methylimidazole-1'-yl)ethyl-4,6-diamino-s-triazine by heat characterised in that the reaction is conducted in an aqueous medium in the presence of epichlorohydrin and in the presence of a catalytic amount of a polymerisation inhibitor and further characterised in that 2-vinyl-4,6-diamino-s-triazine is recovered as crystals precipitated from the reaction mixture. A process according to claim 1, wherein the 2-(2'-methylimidazole-1'-yl)-ethyl-4,6-diamino-s-triazine and epichlorohydrin are reacted in substantially equimolar proportions. A process according to claim 2 wherein the polymerisation inhibitor is sodium sulphide. A process according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the reaction is conducted by heating under reflux.

Inventors: MASUDA, TAKESHI, SAWA, NATSUO
Applicants: SHIKOKU CHEMICALS CORPORATION
Application year: 1985
Main classification: C07D251
IPC codes: C07D251