Method of producing tertiary amino alcohol

Abstract: A tertiary amino alcohol, being useful as an emulsifier, is defined by the formula (1) or (2): where R is a C₂ to C₂₄ straight-chain or branched alkylene group, an alicyclic alkylene group, an aralkylene group or (CH z CH z O) (CH z CH z ) (where p is 0 or a positive integer and q is a positive integer); R′ is a C₁ to C₂₄ straight-­ chain or branched alkyl group or an aralkyl group and n is a positive integer of 2 to 50.

Description: This invention relates to a method of producing tertiary amino alcohol. The tertiary amino alcohol itself can be used as an emulsifier, an epoxy curing agent, a urethane catalyst, a flotation reagent, an extractant, a lubricant additive, and the like, and various applications can be made by deriving quaternary ammonium salts, benzalkonium salts, carbobetaine, amine oxides, etc., from this alcohol. Furthermore, the tertiary amino alcohol can be converted into various modifications of its alcohol group such as esterification, sulfation, phosphation, amination, halogenation, and so forth. A method of producing a polyamine having a terminal amino group, by the reaction between a diol and NH₃, is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 278528/1986 (Texaco) and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 51646/1987 (W.R. Grace & Co.). A method of producing a tertiary amine by the condensation reaction between a di-secondary amine and diaryl iodide is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 29182/1990 (Xerox Corporation). A method of producing a polyalkylenepolyamine, by the polycondensation of a lower diamine and hexamethylene-diamine, is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 31009/1987 (Nippon Sekiyu). A method of obtaining a polycation, by the reaction between a di-tertiary amine and a dihalide, as a polyamide derivative, is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication Nos. 37242/1986 and 37243/1986 (Loreal). Houben-Weyl, 1957, X/1.p.133 describes a method of producing a tertiary amine alcohol utilising a copper catalyst. The invention provides a method of obtaining an amino alcohol having a tertiary amino group in its main chain skeleton, facilitating the development of novel applications of amines and amine derivatives. According to the invention we provide a method of producing a tertiary amino alcohol represented by the general formula (1) or (2) by reacting a diol or a dioldehyde with a primary amine or piperazine, characterised by using a catalyst composition comprising copper; a fourth period transition metal element; and a Group VIII platinum group element catalyst: where R is a C₂ to C₂₄ straight-chain or branched alkylene group, an alicyclic alkylene group, an aralkylene group or (where p is 0 or a positive integer and q is a positive integer), R' is a C₁ to C₂₄ straight-chain or branched alkykl group or an aralkyl group and n is a positive integer of 2 to 50. Particular examples of the diol or dioldehyde include 1,3-butanediol, 1,4-butanediol, 1,5-pentanediol, 1,6-hexanediol, 1,9-nonanediol, 1,10-decanediol, wherein R is a C₂ to C₂₄ straight-chain or branched alkylene group, an alicyclic alkylene group, an aralkylene group or (where p is 0 or a positive integer and q is a positive integer); R′ is a C₁ to C₂₄ straight-chain or branched alkyl group or an aralkyl group; and n is a positive integer in the range 2 to 50. In a further aspect, the present invention provides a method of producing a tertiary amino alcohol by reacting the dio or dialdehyde with the primary amine or piperazine to effect tertiary amination The diol or dialdehyde to be used in the present invention is a C₂ to C₂₄ straight-chain or branched diol or dialdehyde. Particular examples thereof include 1,3-butanediol, 1,4-butanediol, 1,5-pentanediol, 1,6-hexanediol, 1,9-nonanediol, 1,10-decanediol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetramethylene glycol, 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol, bis phenol A/ethylene oxide adduct, and their corresponding aldehydes. The primary amine to be used in the present invention is a straight-chain or branched C₁ to C₂₄ primary amine or an aromatic amine. Particular examples thereof include methylamine, propylamine, isopropylamine, butylamine, 2-ethylhexylamine, heptylamine, octylamine, decylamine, dodecylamine, cetylamine, stearylamine, docosylamine, oleylamine, benzylamine, and phenethylamine. The tertiary amination technique is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 549/1982 and No. 12106/1984, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 55704/1982, Japanese Patent Publication No. 1297/1985 (Hoechst) and No. 48499/1985 (Shell), U.S. Patent No. 4,404,403, No. 4,404,404 and No. 4,409,399 (Onyx) Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 60636/1986 (Shering) and No. 14457/1984 (Texaco) , and Japanese Patent Publication No. 28947/1987 (Shin-Nippon Rika). However, these methods are not entirely satisfactory because the catalysts disclosed in these references do not provide sufficient reactivity and the intended product cannot be obtained at a sufficient yield. In contrast, the catalyst composition used in the present invention comprises: copper; a fourth period transition metal element; and a Group VIII platinum group element. The catalyst composition my additionally contain an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal. The use of such a catalyst composition produces a sufficient yield of the intended tertiary amino alcohol product in the present invention. The fourth period transition metal element is at least one member selected from the group consisting of chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel and zinc. The Group VIII platinum group element is at least one member selected from the group consisting of platinum, palladium, ruthenium and rhodium. The molar ratio of the copper to fourth period transition metal element is in the range 1:9 to 9:1. The molar ratio of the Group VIII platinum group element to the sum of the copper and the fourth period transition metal element is in the range 0.001 to 0.1. In the catalyst composition used in the present invention, copper, the fourth period transition metal element, and the platinum group element are essential. The catalyst may further contain an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal (hereinafter referred to as the "fourth component") or mixtures thereof. The catalytic effect due to the interaction among the above three essential metal components is exhibited when the three components exist as the catalyst composition inside the hydrogen containing reducing atmosphere of the reaction system. Hydrogen reduction of the metal components of the above catalyst composition is necessary for catalytic activity. Since the present reaction system has a reducing hydrogen atmosphere, the form of the metal suitable for the catalyst used in the production method of the present invention is not limited and may be any one of the following: (1) a form which allows the copper, the fourth period transition metal element, and the Group VIII platinum group element, or these three components and the metal of the fourth component or its oxide or hydroxide, or their mixture to be dispersed in the reaction medium; (2) a form which allows the three or four components of the catalyst composition to be supported on the same suitable support and dispersed in the reaction medium; (3) a form wherein a salt of an aliphatic carboxylic acid can form a metal or a complex with the three or four components of the catalyst composition stabilized by a suitable ligand colloid to thereby give a homogenous system in the reaction medium; and (4) a mixture of metals having the form which allows dispersion in the reaction medium such as forms (1) to (2) with metals having the form which gives a homogeneous system in the reaction medium, such as form (3), or a form which allows dispersion before hydrogen reduction and gives a homogeneous system after hydrogen reduction. A further preferred form of the catalyst used in the present invention is such that the component metals described above are uniformly supported on a suitable support from the aspect of stabilization of the catalytic metals, that is, from the aspects of fixation of the active surface and the resistance against catalyst poison. Suitable conventional supports include alumina, silica/alumina, diatomaceous earth, silica, active carbon, natural and synthetic zeolites. Though the quantity of the catalyst to be supported can be determined arbitrarily, it may range generally from 5 to 70 wt% based on the support. Various methods can be selected as the method of supporting the three- or four-component metals on the support surface. Oxides and hydroxides of copper, fourth period transition metal element, Group VIII platinum group element and fourth component, or various metal salts thereof can be used as the starting materials of the catalyst composition. The metal salts include chlorides, sulfates, nitrates, acetates, and aliphatic carboxylates of copper, fourth period transition metal element, Group VIII platinum group element and fourth component, for example. It is further possible to use their metal complexes, such as acetylacetone complexes of copper, fourth period transition metal element and Group VIII platinum group element and carbonyl complexes, amine complexes and phosphine complexes of the Group VIII platinum group element. When the catalyst composition is prepared by supporting these metals on the support, the following various methods can be employed. For example, it is possible to employ a method which comprises dipping the support in a solution of suitable salts of copper, fourth period transition metal element, Group VIII platinum group element and fourth component and drying and sintering the support after sufficient impregnation (impregnation method) . Another suitable method comprises mixing the support and an aqueous solution of suitable salts of copper, fourth period transition metal element and Group VIII platinum group element, adding an aqueous solution of an alkali such as sodium carbonate, sodium hydroxide or aqueous ammonia, so as to precipitate the metal salts on the support, or mixing an aqueous solution of suitable salts of copper, fourth period transition metal element and Group VIII platinum group element with an aqueous slurry of the support, adding simultaneously an aqueous solution of an alkali such as sodium carbonate, sodium hydroxide or aqueous ammonia, so that the pH of the slurry becomes constant (e.g. a pH of 7), precipitating the metal salts on the support, drying and sintering the support so as to prepare a copper - fourth period transition metal element - Group VIII platinum group element catalyst, putting the resulting three-component system catalyst into an aqueous solution of an alkali metal salt or alkaline earth metal when the four-component catalyst is to be obtained, and drying and sintering the support after sufficient impregnation (a combination of coprecipitation and impregnation). A further method effects ion-exchange with hydrogen or metal contained in zeolite (ion exchange method) is also suitable. In short, any of known methods may be used. In the case of the coprecipitation method, washing with water carried out after the precipitation of the metals, drying is made near 100°C and then sintering is made at 300 to 700°C to obtain the catalyst. Another effective method comprises supporting copper, or copper and the fourth period transition metal element, on the support by any of the above methods, adding the Group VIII platinum group element, the fourth component, the aliphatic carboxylate or the complex before the reaction, and forming a complex of the copper, the fourth period transition metal element, the Group VIII platinum group element and the fourth component in the reaction medium in a hydrogen atmosphere. Preferably, the catalysts obtained by the various methods described above are uniformly supported on the same support. In the catalyst used in the present invention, the three components of copper, the fourth period transition metal element, and the Group VIII platinum group element are essential. The method of producing the tertiary amino alcohol in accordance with the present invention will now be described in further detail. A tertiary amino alcohol can be produced by reacting a diol or dialdehyde with a primary amine or piperazie according to the method of the present invention,which comprises using a catalyst having a composition consisting of copper - nickel - Group VIII platinum group element, copper - chromium - Group VIII platinum group element, copper - zinc - Group VIII platinum group element, copper - manganese - Group VIII platinum group element, copper - iron - Group VIII platinum group element, copper - cobalt - Group VIII platinum group element, or the like, and these catalysts containing further the fourth component, and carrying out the reaction under an atmospheric or elevated pressure at 150 to 250°C while discharging either continuously or intermittently water generated by the reaction in the presence of these catalysts. In this reaction, the diol or dialdehyde may be added continuously during the reaction, or may be fed at the beginning. Alternatively, a predetermined amount thereof may be fed in several portions. When the primary amine is gas, it is supplied either continuously or intermittently during the reaction. Alternatively, a predetermined quantity thereof may be fed at once under an elevated pressure. When the primary amine is liquid, it is supplied continueously. Alternatively, a predetermined quantity thereof may be fed at the beginning. The molar ratio of the amine to the diol or dialdehyde must be at least 0.7, and preferably 1.0. In the case of a gaseous amine, the excess gas which is fed together with hydrogen may be recovered and reused. In the method of the present invention, the water generated by the reaction between the diol or dialdehyde and the primary amine or piperazine is preferably withdrawn outside the reaction system. When the water is not taken out of the system, the catalytic activity and selectivity drop in many cases. If the reaction is carried out without removing the water, for example, disproportionation products of the amine are formed in large quantities, or large quantities of aldehyde condensates are formed, so that the yield of the intended tertiary amino alcohol and product drops. The water produced by the reaction may be removed either intermittently or continuously during the reaction. Preferably, the water is continuously removed. More specifically, it is general practice to introduce a suitable quantity of a hydrogen gas into the reaction system during the reaction and to distill the formed water together with the hydrogen gas. The hydrogen gas can be recycled for use by condensing and separating the water in a condenser. It is also possible to distill azeotropically by adding a suitable solvent to the reaction system or to add an inert solvent so as to reduce the viscosity of the product. The catalyst composition used in the present invention can be included in the reactor together with the diol or dialdehyde as the starting materials and then reduced by heating the reaction mixture to a reaction temperature while introducing hydrogen gas or, when the amine is gas, a mixture of a hydrogen gas with the gaseous amine. The embodiment for practising the method of the present invention will now be described by way of example only. When hydrogen and a gaseous amine are used, a diol or dialdehyde as the starting material and a catalyst are fed in to a reactor equipped with a tube for introducing the amine, and a condenser and a separator for condensing and separating water generated by the reaction, an excessive amine and an evaporating oily substance. Though an arbitrary amount of the catalyst may be used, the amount is generally from 1 to 10 wt% on the basis of the diol or dialdehyde fed. After the reaction system is purges with nitrogen gas, the temperature is increased and hydrogen or hydrogen and a small amount of gaseous amine is introduced. When a liquid amine is used, the amine is fed in at a predetermined temperature, or alternatively dropped into the reaction system in small portions. The reaction temperature is generally from about 150 to about 250°C, through the temperature outside this range can be employed depending on the kind of the starting material. The catalyst is reduced during this temperature rise into a catalyst in an activated state. After the temperature reaches a predetermined temperature, the reaction is started by introducing or dropping the amine. During the reaction, the water formed is discharged outside the system together with gaseous matters (hydrogen and excessive gaseous amine) and a small amount of oily substances, and is then separated from the oily substances through the condenser and the separator. The oily substances thus separated are returned into the reactor. As a result of analysis of the gaseous matters (excessive hydrogen and gaseous amine), it is found that they scarcely contain any by-products (e.g. hydrocarbons), so that they can be reused without any special refining step. After the reaction is completed, the catalyst is filtered off by a suitable method to obtain the product. Brief Description of the Drawings: Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the mass spectrum of the tertiary amino alcohol obtained in Example 1; and Fig. 2 is a diagram showing its ¹³C NMR spectrum. [Example] Now the present invention will be described in further detail with some examples thereof, though the invention is not particularly limited thereto. 〈Preparation of the catalyst〉 A ternary copper fourth period transition metal element Group VIII platinum group element catalyst composition supported on synthetic zeolite was prepared in the following way. Synthetic zeolite was fed into a 1-ℓ flask and a solution prepared by dissolving copper nitrate, nickel nitrate, and palladium chloride in water so as to attain a molar ratio of Cu:Ni:Pd of 4:1:0.1, was added thereto. The mixture was heated with stirring. A 10% aqueous Na₂CO₃ solution was gradually added dropwise at 90°C. After aging for one hour, the precipitate was filtered, washed with water, dried at 80°C for 10 hours and then sintered at 400°C for three hours. The quantity of the supported metal oxide was 50% based on the support. A catalyst composition having a molar ratio of Cu:Zn:Rh of 4:1:0.1 was prepared similarly. Furthermore, a catalyst composition having a molar ratio of Cu:Ni:Ru of 4:1:0.01 was prepared similarly, the resulting ternary catalyst was immersed sufficiently in an aqueous lithium carbonate solution (molar ratio: Ni:Li of 1:0.05), dried again at 80°C for ten hours and sintered at 300°C for one hour to obtain a quaternary catalyst of Cu/Ni/Ru/Li. The quantity of the supported catalyst was 50% in the same way as above. The catalysts thus prepared were used in the following Examples. Example 1: A reaction between 1,6-hexanediol and monomethylamine was carried out. 600 g of 1,6-hexanediol and 2.4 g (4 wt% on the basis of the starting diol) of the catalyst described above (Cu/Ni/Pd catalyst having a molar ratio of 4/1/0.1; hereinafter, this catalyst will be used throughout all the Exampels other than Exampels 7 and 9) were fed into a 1-ℓ flask equipped with a condenser and a separator for separating the formed water, and the reaction system was purged with nitrogen under stirring. Then the temperature elevation was started. When the temperature inside the system reached 100°C, a hydrogen gas was blown into the system at a rate of 10 ℓ/hr by use of a flow meter and the temperature was raised to 180°C. A mixture of monomethylamine and hydrogen gas was blown into the reaction system at a flow rate of 40 ℓ/hr at this temperature and the reaction was traced by an amine value and a hydroxyl value. The reaction was carried out for about four hours. After the reaction, the catalyst was filtered away to obtain a pale brown viscous liquid. The product was subjected to various analyses. First of all, as a result of mass spectroscopic analysis, it was confirmed from the molecular weight that the tertiary amino alcohols were represented by the following formula wherein n is 1 to 8 were formed: Fig. 1 shows the mass spectrum of this compound. Next, a ¹³C NMR spectrum was measured with a 270 MHz NMR (JMR-GX270WB) in order to prove that the terminal was alcoholic. According to the calculation from the area ratio, 94% of the terminal groups were alcoholic [the following formula (1)] while 6% thereof were dimethylamino groups [the following formula (2)] (formed by the reaction with dimethylamine resulting from the disproportionation of monomethylamine). Fig. 2 shows the ¹³C NMR spectrum. Further, according to the VPO, the molecular weight was 425 ( n = 2.7) and, according to the calculation value based on the ¹³C NMR spectrum, n was approximately 2.4, which was in good agreement with the observed value. As to the observed values of the amine values, the total amine value was 355.7 and the tertiary amine value was 353.7, which was in good agreement with the theoretical value 355 when n was 2.7. It was thus confirmed that the amino alcohol of the present invention having the tertiary amino group at its main chain could be obtained. Example 2: The reaction was carried out for about 15 hours under the same conditions as those of Example 1 except that the reaction temperature was 200°C and the amount of the catalyst was 2 wt% (based on the diol; the same applies in the following Examples), and a tertiary amino alcohol having a molecular weight of 2170 ( n = 18.2) according to the VPO and having the same structure as that of Example 1 was obtained. Example 3: The reaction was carried out for about eight hours under the same conditions as those of Example 1 except that the reaction temperature wa 210°C, 1,9-nonanediol was used as the alcohol and the quantity of the catalyst was 2 wt%. The reaction product was a compound represented by the following formula, and had a molecular weight of 2820 ( n = 17.2) according to the VPO: Example 4: The reaction was carried out for about 20 hours at 220°C with triethylene glycol as the alcohol and the quantity of the catalyst was 4 wt%. The reaction product was a compound represented by the following formula and had a molecular weight of 1130 ( n = 6.8) according to the VPO: Example 5: 1,6-Hexanediol was used as the alcohol and n-butylamine was used as the amine. The quantity of catalyst was 4% and an equimolar amine was added to the diol dropwise in the course of about 30 hours during the reaction, and the reaction was carried out for about 40 hours at 185°C. The reaction product was a compound represented by the following formula and had a molecular weight of 1530 ( n = 9.1) according to the VPO: Example 6: 1,6-Hexanediol was used as the alcohol and benzylamine was used as the amine. The quantity of catalyst was 4% and an equimolar amine was added to the diol dropwise in the course of about 30 hours during the reaction in the same way as that of Example 5. The reaction was carried out at 180°C for about 30 hours. The reaction product was a compound represented by the following formula and had a molecular weight off 666 ( n = 2.9) according to the VPO: Example 7: 1,6-Hexanediol was used as the alcohol and stearylamine was used as the amine. 8% of the catalyst prepared above, that is, the Cu/Zn/Rh catalyst (molar ratio: 4/1/0.1) was used. In the same way as that of Example 5, an equimolar amine was added to the diol dropwise in the course of about 30 hours during the reaction. The reaction was carried out at 200°C for about 40 hours. The reaction product was a compound represented by the following formula and had a molecular weight of 1390 ( n = 3.4) according to the VPO: Example 8: 1,4-Cyclohexanedimethanol was used as the alcohol and monomethylamine was used as the amine. 2% of the Cu/Ni/Pd catalyst was used as the catalyst with the rest being the same as those of Example 1. The reaction was carried out at 210°C for 23 hours. The reaction product was a compound represented by the following formula and had a molecular weight of 535 ( n = 2.8) according to the VPO: Example 9: Polytetramethylene glycol (PTMG: Mw = 650) was used as the alcohol and monomethylamine was used as the amine. 2% of the Cu/Ni/Li catalyst prepared above was used as the catalyst with the rest being the same as those of Example 1. The reaction was carried out at 210°C for 18 hours. The reaction product was a compound represented by the following formula and had a molecular weight of 2050 ( n = 2.1) according to the VPO: wherein m was 8.8 on an average. Example 10: 1,9-Nonanediol was used as the alcohol and an equimolar piperazine was used as the amine. 4% of the Cu/Ni/Pd catalyst prepared above was used as the catalyst. The reaction was carried out at 200°C for about 15 hours under an elevated pressure of hydrogen of 10 kg/cm²G. The reaction product was a compound represented by the following formula and had a molecular weight of 650 ( n = 2.3) according to the VPO: The starting alcohols and amines, the reaction conditions, the molecular weights of the reaction products, n , and the like in the above Examples 1 to 10 are tabulated in Table 1.

Claims: A method of producing a tertiary amino alcohol represented by the general formula (1) or (2) by reacting a diol or a dialdehyde with a primary amine or piperazine, characterized by using a catalyst composition comprising copper; a fourth period transition metal element; and a Group VIII platinum group element catalyst: where R is a C₂ to C₂₄ straight-chain or branched alkylene group, an alicyclic alkylene group, an aralkylene group or (where p is 0 or a positive integer and q is a positive integer) , R' is a C₁ to C₂₄ straight-chain or branched alkyl group or an aralkyl group and n is a positive integer of 2 to 50. A method according to claim 1 wherein the catalyst composition additionally contains an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal . A method of producing a tertiary amino alcohol according to claim 1, wherein said fourth period transition metal element is at least one member selected from the group consisting of chromium, manganese, iron, coblat, nickel and zinc; and said Group VIII platinum group element is at least one member selected from the group consisting of platinum, palladium, ruthenium and rhodium. A method of producing a tertiary amino alcohol according to claim 1, wherein the molar ratio of the copper of said copper - fourth period transition metal element - Group VIII platinum group element catalyst to the metal atom of said fourth period transition metal element is 1:9 to 9:1, and the molar ratio of said Group VIII platinum group element to the sum of the copper and said fourth period transition metal element is 0.001 to 0.1.

Inventors: ABE HIROSHI, AIKAWA JUN, NISHIMOTO UICHIRO, SOTOYA KOHSHIRO, TANIGUCHI HIDEKI, ABE, HIROSHI, AIKAWA, JUN, NISHIMOTO, UICHIRO, SOTOYA, KOHSHIRO, TANIGUCHI, HIDEKI
Applicants: KAO CORP, KAO CORPORATION
Application year: 1990
Main classification: C07C215
IPC codes: C07C215, C07C213, C07B61, C07D295, C07C217, B01J23