Method for production of maleimides

Abstract: A method for the production of a maleimide by dehydration and ring-closure of maleinamic acid obtained by the reaction of maleic anhydride with an amine. The method is characterised by effecting ring-­ closure imidation of the maleinamic acid by heating the maleinamic acid in a water-insoluble or water-immscible inert organic solvent in the presence of a catalyst. The catalyst is a mixture of the amine salt and the acid, supported on a solid carrier.

Description: This invention relates to a method for the production of maleimides. More particularly, this invention relates to a method for the production of maleimides by ring-closure imidation of maleinamic acids. Description of the Prior Art: Maleimides are compounds useful as raw materials for synthetic resins, medicines, and agricultural chemicals. Researches after methods for their production have long been under way. The most popular method to date effects the production of maleimides by the dehydration cyclization of maleinamic acids with a dehydrating agent such as acetic anhydride. One version of this method is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 2,444,536. This method effects the production of maleimides by causing maleic anhydride to react with amines thereby forming maleinamic acids and dehydration cyclizing and, at the same time, imidating the maleinamic acids in the presence of acetic anhydride and sodium acetate. This method, however, has the disadvantage that the imidation requires expensive acetic anhydride to be used in at least an equivalent relative to the maleinamic acid and the separation and recovery of the formed maleimide from the imidation reaction solution necessitates use of a large volume of water and, as the result, entails disposal of a large amount of an acetic acid-containing effluent at great expense. Thus, this method may well be considered too expensive for commercial production of maleimides. A method which does not need such a chemical dehydration agent as acetic anhydride is disclosed in British Patent No. 1,041,027 and U.S. Patent No. 3,431,276. This method effects the production of maleimides by thermally dehydrating and cyclizing maleinamic acids in conjunction with a solvent such as, for example, toluene, xylene, or chlorobenzene having a boiling point exceeding 80°C and serving as a diluent and an acid catalyst such as sulphur trioxide, sulphuric acid, or ortho-phosphoric acid, and distilling the system thereby causing azeotropic expulsion of the consequently formed water in conjunction with the solvent. As compared with the method which uses acetic anhydride, this method proves advantageous in that it does not require the use of a large amount of such an expensive dehydrating agent as acetic anhydride and further that the formed maleimides are separated and recovered with ease. This method nevertheless has the disadvantage that the yield of the imidation is low as compared with that obtainable by the method using acetic anhydride. This disadvantage is logically explained by a theory that compared with the method which effects the imidation by the use of acetic anhydride, the method which effects the imidation by performing thermal dehydration in the specific solvent as described above involves a high reaction temperature and, therefore, tends to induce side reactions and inevitably manages to produce maleimides abounding with impurities and further that since maleimides are thermally unstable, the maleimides produced can be degenerated during the course of the reaction. Further, as a commercial process, this method is not economically satisfactory, because it requires the use of an expensive acid catalyst in a relatively large amount and, moreover, produces the maleimides in a low yield. There is another method which, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open SHO 53(1978)-68,700 and Japanese Patent Publication SHO 57(1982)-42,043, comprises causing maleic anhydride to react on amines in the presence of an organic solvent thereby forming maleinamic acids and subjecting the maleinamic acids as held in a state not isolated from the reaction system to dehydration and cyclization in the presence of such an aprotic polar solvent as dimethyl formamide or dimethyl sulphoxide and an acid catalyst. By this method, there is a recognisable improvement in yield as compared with the second method described above. This method, however, has three disadvantages, that the cost of production of maleimides is high because expensive and highly toxic aprotic polar solvent such as dimethyl formamide is used in a large amount, that the solvent such as dimethyl formamide is degenerated by the action of an acid catalyst used in the reaction and, therefore, much of the solvent is lost and that since the aprotic polar solvent used in the reaction has a high boiling point, the solvent is removed from the produced maleimides only with great difficulty. Japanese Patent Laid-Open SHO 54(1979)-30,155 discloses a method for producing an oligoimide by using, as a catalyst, a mixture of an inorganic or organic oxygen-containing acid with a quaternary ammonium salt of the acid. The quaternary ammonium salt which is used, mixed with an acid catalyst in this method, however, is an ammonium salt whose nitrogen atom has been at least disubstituted. Specifically, this is an expensive interphase catalyst such as dimethyldialkyl ammonium methane sulphonate or tetraoctyl ammonium methane sulphonate The method, thus necessitating use of such a compound as indicated above, is inevitably judged to be an expensive approach. For this method to maintain a highly satisfactory yield of imidation, however, it is essential that the reaction should be continued with the ratio of the acid catalyst to the quaternary ammonium salt rigidly controlled within a certain range. When the catalyst which has been used once in the reaction is used again, the imidation cannot be obtained in a highly satisfactory yield because the ratio varies in the presence of the used catalyst. An effort to attain efficient reuse of the used catalyst, therefore, entails as a problem the fact that the management for maintenance of catalytic activity by subjecting the used catalyst to purifying and readjusting treatments calls for considerable labour. Japanese Patent Laid-Open SHO 60(1985)-109,562 discloses a method for the production of monomaleimide by the cyclizing imidation of maleinamic acid in a mixed solvent containing a nonpolar solvent such as toluene or xylene and a polar solvent such as dimethyl sulphoxide or N-methyl pyrrolidone in a specific ratio in the presence of an acid catalyst such as p-toluenesulphonic acid or m-toluenesulphonic acid and a mixed catalyst containing the acid catalyst and an ammonium salt such as, for example, the salt thereof with maleinamic acid. In this method, however, since the acid catalyst and the polar solvent in the mixed solvent react with each other to form a complicated complex (which is widely variable with the ratio of the amounts of the two compounds and with temperature, for example), it is the complicated catalyst system composed of this complex, the acid, and the salt, that substantially produces the catalytic activity. Thus, the yield of the imidation is affected to a great extent by the composition of the three components mentioned above. When the reaction is carried out batchwise, it does not entail any appreciable disadvantage. When the reaction is carried out in a system which requires the catalyst and the solvent to be recycled, however, it entails various drawbacks. To be specific, this method renders the selection of reaction conditions complicate because the amount of the complicated complex produced owing to the use of the polar solvent varies and the catalyst varies in quality from one batch to another. Effectively therefore, this method is unsuitable for a continuous reaction. An object of this invention is to provide an improved method for the production of maleimides. Another object of this invention is to provide a method for producing a maleimide of high purity in a high yield by a safe and simple procedure. Yet another object of this invention is to provide a method for enabling the production of a maleimide to be effected easily by a continuous reaction. It is known for DE-C-1269126, US-3431276 and EP-A-129125 to provide a method for the production of a maleimide which comprises reacting maleic anhydride with an amine to produce maleinamic acid and effecting a dehydration and ring-closure reaction of the maleinamic acid characterised in that the ring-closure imidation of the maleinamic acid is effected by heating the maleinamic acid in a water-insoluble or water-immiscible inert organic solvent in the presence of an acid catalyst. According to the present invention, there is provided a method for the production of a malemide of formula II wherein R is one of alkyl of 1-20 carbon atoms, phenyl, benzyl, cyclohexyl, pyridyl, quinolyl and these moieties when substituted by halogen, carboxyl or nitro, which comprises the sequential steps of: reacting maleic anhydride with a primary amine of the formula NH₂-R, R being as defined above, to form the corresponding maleinamic acid; and effecting a ring closure reaction of the maleinamic acid by heating the maleinamic acid in a water insoluble or water immiscible inert non-polar organic solvent, in the presence of a catalyst, characterised in that the solvent is used in a volume ratio of from 1 to 1 to 20 to 1 with respect to the maleinamic acid; the catalyst is supported on a solid inert organic or inorganic carrier and contains an acid component in an amount of 2 to 400 mol% based on the maleinamic acid, at least one catalyst ingredient comprising (a) a strong organic or inorganic acid, (b) an amine acid addition salt produced from the primary amine and a strong inorganic or organic acid, or (c) a mixture of the amine acid addition salt and a strong acid; the heating step being carried out at a temperature of from 120° to 250°C; the water thus formed being continuously distilled off as a mixture with the solvent. Preferably, the amount of catalyst to be supported is in the range of 0.5 to 500% by weight based on the weight of the carrier. The carrier preferably consists of diatomaceous earth, silica gel, and/or activated carbon. Preferably, the imidation of the maleinamic acid by dehydration and ring-closure is carried out in the presence of a metal-containing compound. The metal-containing compound is preferably a zinc-containing compound. Preferably the metal-containing compound is an acetate. Attention is drawn to the present Applicants' co-pending EP-A-257831, from which the present application is divided, which is concerned generally with the catalyst comprising the primary amine acid addition salt catalyst from the primary amine and a strong organic or inorganic acid. A lengthy study carried out by the present inventors on reactions for the synthesis of maleimides and particularly the development of a catalyst for use in a ring-closure imidation reaction, has resulted in a finding that an amine salt produced by the neutralisation of the amine used as the raw material for the maleimide with an acid or a mixture of the amine salt with an acid manifests a catalytic activity of unusually high selectivity on the cyclizing imidation reaction. The present invention has been the result of this discovery. In the light of the long cherished theory that the presence of an oxygen-containing acid is indispensable to the reaction of ring-closure imidation, it is particularly surprising that the use of the amine salt produced by the neutralisation brings about an unusually high catalytic activity in the reaction of ring-closure imidation. The maleinamic acids to be used in this invention are easily obtained generally by the reaction of primary amines with maleic anhydride. They are desired to be compounds represented by the following general formula I. wherein R denotes a member selected from the class consisting of alkyl of 1 to 20 carbon atoms, phenyl, benzyl, cyclohexyl, pyridyl, and quinolyl groups, and the same groups as mentioned above and possessed of halogen, carboxyl, or nitro substituents; providing that the alkyl groups or phenyl groups are more desirable than the other groups mentioned. Examples of the primary amine particularly useful as the raw material for the maleinamic acid in this invention include methylamine, ethylamine, n-propylamine, isopropylamine, n-butylamine, sec-butylamine, isobutylamine, tert-butylamine, n-hexylamine, n-dodecylamine, benzylamine, cyclohexylamine, aniline, nitroaniline, and dichloroaniline. Synthesis of a maleinamic acid proceeds virtually stoichiometrically. For example, the maleinamic acid can be synthesized by causing the amine in an amount of 0.8 to 1.5 mols, preferably 0.9 to 1.2 mols, to react upon each mol of maleic anhydride. The organic solvent to be used in the present invention is desired to be capable of permitting the water formed by the reaction of dehydration and cyclization to be expelled from the reaction system through azeotropic distillation therewith, insoluble or immiscible in water, inert, and incapable of participating in the reaction. Examples of organic solvents meeting these requirements are benzene, toluene, oil fractions boiling at temperatures in the range of 50° to 120° C, xylenes, ethyl benzene, isopropyl benzene, cumene, mesitylene, tert-butyl benzene, pseudo-cumene, trimethyl hexane, octane, tetrachloroethane, nonane, chlorobenzene, ethyl cyclohexane, oil fractions boiling at temperatures in the range of 120° to 170°C, m-dicyclobenzene, sec-butyl benzene, p-dichlorobenzene, decane, p-cymene, o-dichlorobenzene, butyl benzene, decahydronaphthalene, tetrahydronaphthalene, dodecane, naphthalene, cyclohexyl benzene, and oil fractions boiling at temperatures in the range of 170° to 250°C. From the standpoint of enabling this reaction to proceed smoothly under satisfactorily economic conditions, the amount of this solvent to be used in the reaction is in the range of 1 to 20 times, preferably 3 to 7 times (by volume), the amount of maleimic acid. Further, the solvent is selected on the condition that it should possess a boiling point suiting the prevalent reaction conditions in due consideration of the solubility of the maleimide, price, and ease of handling. When the separation of the maleimide and the solvent after completion of the reaction demands an important consideration, there are times then the reaction performed by the use of a solvent of a low boiling point under application of pressure may prove to be more advantageous. The catalyst is either the amine salt or a mixture of the amine salt with the inorganic or organic acid, supported on a solid carrier, though since the catalyst is supported on a solid carrier, the amine content may be zero percent. That is to say, only acid catalyst may be used. The amount of the catalyst to be used preferably falls in the range of 20 to 200 mol%, as an acid component contained in the catalyst, based on the amount of the maleinamic acid, wherein the acid component contained in the catalyst means both an acid component which constitutes the amine salt and free acid. Examples of the solid carrier to be used advantageously herein include natural minerals such as kaolins, clay, talc, chalk, quartz, bentonite, montmorillonite, and diatomaceous earth; synthetic minerals such as highly dispersed silicic acid, alumina, silicates, activated carbon, gypsum, iron oxide red, titanium dioxide, silica, silica-alumina, and zirconium oxide; and natural rocks such as calcite, marble, pumice, sepiolite, and dolomite. Such an inorganic carrier is preferably used in the form of a powder, in the form of granules obtained by pelletising and classifying the relevant substance, or in the form of a honeycomb. It is also permissible to use an organic carrier. A granular carrier of polyfluorocarbon, polystyrene, or phenol resin can be effectively used. The catalysis is obtained with particularly desirable results when the carrier is made of such a porous substance as diatomaceous earth, silica gel or activated carbon. Typical examples of commercially available carriers which can be used effectively include a product of diatomaceous earth (marketed by Showa Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. under trademark designation of "Radiolight") and products of silica gel (marketed by Fuji-Davison Chemical Co., Ltd. under trademark designations of "Carriact" "SYLOID," and "Microbead Silica Gel"), a product of silica gel (marketed by Wako-Junyaku Industry Co., Ltd. under trademark designation of "Wakogel"), and a product of activated carbon (marketed by Taiyo Kaken Co., Ltd. under trademark designation of "BAC"). Though the amount of the carrier-supported catalyst to be used is variable with the physical properties of the carrier used, it is generally preferable when in the range of 0.5 to 500 % by weight, desirably 5 to 200 % by weight, and particularly desirably 10 to 100 % by weight, based on the amount of the carrier. As means for supporting the catalyst on the carrier, any conventional method such as the immersion method or the spray method can be adopted. The catalyst may be supported directly on the carrier or it may be supported in an organic solvent or an aqueous solution. When the amine salt obtained by the neutralisation of the amine as the raw material with an acid is used as the catalyst either independently or in a form mixed with an acid, the acid catalyst may be supported first on the carrier and then caused to react with the amine or the amine salt or a mixture of the amine salt with the acid may be prepared in advance and subsequently supported on the carrier. It is provided, however, that when the amine salt is used by itself, since the amine salt is solid at normal room temperature, it is preferably supported on the carrier in the form of an aqueous solution. The neutralisation reaction may be carried out in the presence of a metal-containing compound and a stabilizer when occasion demands. The amine salt produced as described above or a mixture of the amine salt with the acid is preferably insoluble in the organic solvent to be used in the present invention. Such a reaction system therefore, this liquid catalyst assumes a state separated into the two layers, an organic layer and an inorganic layer. This state remains during and after the reaction. Moreover, the amine salt or the mixture thereof with the acid serving as the catalyst remains substantially unchanged before and after the reaction. A catalyst system of this nature therefore can be used in situ in the next cycle of reaction without being recovered and refined in the meantime. When this catalyst layer is to,be used in the next cycle of reaction, the organic layer and the catalyst layer existing at the end of the reaction may be separated one from the other at a temperature in the range of 120° to 250°C, and the catalyst layer consequently recovered may be put to use directly in the next cycle of reaction. Otherwise, for the sake of convenience of handling, the recovered catalyst layer may be diluted with 5 to 20 % by weight of water to lower both temperature and viscosity so to be added to the reaction system for the next cycle of reaction. Regarding, the manner of use of the supported catalyst as described above, the catalyst may be used, as added, in the form of a powdered catalyst to a stirring type reaction kettle or it may be used as granules and packed in the form of a fixed bed in a flow type reaction vessel. There are instances where the reaction can be carried out, as disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 4,623,734, in the presence of a metal-containing compound and a stabilizer. The metal-containing compound to be used in this case may be selected from among oxides, acetates, maleates, succinates, nitrates, phosphates, chlorides, and sulphates of at least one metal selected from the group consisting of zinc, chromium, palladium, cobalt, nickel, iron, and aluminium. Of these compounds , zinc acetate appears to be particularly effective. The amount of the metal-containing compound to be used may be in the range of 0.005 to 0.5 mol%, preferably 0.01 to 0.1 mol%, as metal, based on 1 mol of the maleinamic acid. Suitable stabilizers include methoxy benzoquinone, p-methoxyphenol, phenothiazine, hydroquinone, alkylated diphenyl amines, methylene blue, tert-butyl catechol, tert-butyl hydroquinone, zinc dimethyldithiocarbamate, copper dimethyldithiocarbamate, copper dibutyldithiocarbamate, copper salicylate, thiodipropionic esters, mercaptobenzimidazole, triphenyl phosphite, alkylphenols, and alkylbisphenols. The stabilizer plays the part of enabling the maleimide which is produced by the reaction of imidation to remain stable during the course of the imidation without being degenerated at the elevated temperature of the reaction. Regarding the amount of the stabilizer to be added, the addition of the stabilizer in a minute amount is generally not sufficiently effective while its addition in an unduly large amount is undesirable because it entails the drawback that an excess of stabilizer finds its way into the final product. The amount of the stabilizer to be effectively used may therefore be in the range of 0.005 to 0.5 mol%, preferably 0.05 to 0.3 mol%, based on 1 mol of the maleinamic acid. In a preferred manner or working the present invention, first maleic anhydride prepared as a solution in an organic solvent and an amine compound added thereto are allowed to react with each other at a temperature not exceeding 150°C, preferably falling in the range of 30° to 120°C, for a period of 15 to 120 minutes, preferably 30 to 60 minutes to produce maleinamic acid. Then, the reaction system in which the maleinamic acid is left unisolated, the catalyst or the catalyst layer separated from the reaction system of the preceding cycle of reaction, and optionally the metal-containing compound and/or the stabilizer are combined and heated at a temperature in the range of 120° to 250°C, preferably 130° to 220°C, for a period in the range of one hour to 15 hours, preferably 3 to 7 hours to effect the reaction in a continuous operation with the formed water expelled from the system through azeotropic distillation or to effect the reaction in a batchwise pattern with the expulsion of the formed water carried out at the end of the reaction. As the result, the maleimide is produced in a high yield. The maleimide which is consequently obtained is a compound represented by the general formula II, for example. wherein R has the same meaning as defined above. Typical examples of the maleimides include N-methyl maleimide, N-ethyl maleimide, N-n-propyl maleimide, N-isopropyl maleimide, N-n-butyl maleimide, N-sec-butyl maleimide, N-tert-butyl maleimide, N-n-hexyl maleimide, N-n-dodecyl maleimide, N-benzyl maleimide, N-cyclohexyl maleimide, N-phenyl maleimide, N-nitrophenyl maleimide, N- monochlorophenyl maleimide, and N-dichlorophenyl maleimide. Of course, the maleimides which this invention is intended to embrace are not limited to the examples cited above. As a solid catalyst supported on the carrier is used, this invention brings about the following advantages. (1) This invention permits a maleimide of high purity to be produced in a high yield because the catalyst system produced by supporting on a solid carrier the amine salt obtained from the acid and the amine as the raw material and/or the acid possesses a catalytic activity of high selectivity on the reaction of ring-closure imidation. (2) Since the catalyst is supported on the solid carrier and, therefore, the separation of the reaction solution and the catalyst can be easily effected, the reaction can be easily carried out in a continuous pattern and, what is more, the productivity of the process can be enhanced to a great extent. (3) Since the catalyst is lost only nominally, the cost of the catalyst can be substantially disregarded. Now, the present invention will be described more specifically below with reference to working examples. Example 1 In a beaker having an inner volume of 200 ml, 20g of orthophosphoric acid was placed and then 30 g of diatomaceous earth (product of Showa Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. marketed under trademark designation of "Radiolight #200) was added thereto to effect deposition of the orthophosphoric acid on the diatomaceous earth. A flask provided with a thermometer, a condenser incorporating therein a water separator, a dropping funnel, and a stirrer was charged with a solution of 55 g of maleic anhydride in 50 g of xylene. Then, the inner temperature of the flask was adjusted to 80°C and a solution of 50 g of aniline in 400 g of xylene was added piecemeal thereto over a period of 30 minutes, to synthesise a slurry solution of N-phenyl maleinamic acid in xylene. The slurry solution thus obtained and the catalyst prepared in the beaker in advance were left reacting at 140°C for three hours. After the reaction was completed, the reaction solution was separated from the catalyst layer. It was then cooled to 80°C, washed with water, and thereafter distilled under a vacuum to expel xylene and obtain 83 g of crystals of N-phenyl maleimide. The purity of the crystals, on analysis by liquid chromatography, was found to be 87.4 % by weight. The yield of this product was 78.0 % based on aniline used as aniline. Example 2 The procedure of Example 1 was faithfully repeated, excepting 0.034 g of zinc acetate and 0.01 g of copper dibutyl dithiocarbamate were added instead during the course of imidation. As the result, there were obtained 93 g of crystals of N-phenyl maleimide. The purity of the crystals, on analysis by liquid chromatography, was found to be 94.3 % by weight. The yield thereof was 94.3 mol% based on aniline used as the raw material. Example 3 In a Meyer's flask having an inner volume of 300 ml, 100 g of xylene and 20 g of orthophosphoric acid were dispersed. Then, the same diatomaceous earth as used in Example 1 was introduced therein to effect deposition of the orthophosphoric acid on the diatomaceous earth. Then it was reacted with 9.5g of aniline. The procedure of Example 2 was repeated, excepting the deposited catalyst mentioned above was used as a catalyst for the imidation. Consequently, there were obtained 92 g of crystals. The purity of the crystals, on analysis by liquid chromatography, was found to be 98.5 % by weight. The yield thereof was 97.5 mol% based on aniline used as the raw material. After the reaction was completed, in the reactor containing the used catalyst intact, a total of 20 cycles of the imidation were carried out. The yield of reaction in the 20th cycle was 98.1 mol%. The catalyst after the 20th cycle of reaction showed the same attributes as the catalyst after the first cycle of reaction. Control 1 The procedure of Example 1 was repeated, excepting the orthophosphoric acid was not deposited on diatomaceous earth. As the result, there were obtained 82 g of crystals of N-phenyl maleimide. The purity of the crystals, on analysis by liquid chromatography, was found to be 74.8 % by weight. The yield of the product was 66.0 mol%, based on aniline used as the raw material. Control 2 The procedure of Example 2 was repeated, excepting the orthophosphoric acid was not deposited on diatomaceous earth. Consequently, there were obtained 85 g of crystals of N-phenyl maleimide. The purity of the crystals, on analysis by liquid chromatography, was found to be 90.2 % by weight. The yield of this product was 80.5 mol% based on aniline used as the raw material. Control 3 The procedure of Example 3 was repeated, excepting the orthophosphoric acid was not deposited on diatomaceous earth. Consequently, there were obtained 90 g of crystals of N-phenyl maleimide. The purity of the crystals, on analysis by liquid chromatography, was found to be 91.7 % by weight. The yield of this product was 88.8 mol% based on aniline used as the raw material. Example 4 In a meyer's flask having an inner volume of 300 ml, 60 g of orthophosphoric acid was placed and stirred with 60 g of a granular silica gel carrier (product of Fuji-Davison chemical Co., Ltd. marketed under trademark designation of "Carriact-30") to effect deposition of the acid on the carrier. Subsequently, 100 g of orthoxylene was added thereto and the Meyer's flask was kept cooled in a water bath and 37 g of cyclohexylamine was added dropwise thereto, to effect partial conversion of the carried acid into an amine salt. Separately, a flask provided with a thermometer, a condenser incorporating therein a water separator, a dropping funnel, and a stirrer was charged first with 100 g of orthoxylene and then with 100 g of maleic anhydride and heated to an inner temperature of 100°C, to effect dissolution of the maleic anhydride. Subsequently, a solution of 100 g of cyclohexylamine in 600 g of orthoxylene was added dropwise in a stirred state over a period of one hour, to synthesize a slurry solution of N-cyclohexyl maleinamic acid in orthoxylene. Then, the slurry solution and the carried catalyst and 0.1 g of copper dibutyl dithiocarbamate added thereto were left to react for seven hours by being heated and stirred at 143°C, with the water formed by the reaction continuously expelled by distillation in combination with the orthoxylene from the reaction system in the meantime. After the reaction was completed, the reaction solution was analysed for N-cyclohexyl maleimide by gas chromatography. Thus, the yield of N-cyclohexyl maleimide was found to be 97.8 mol% based on cyclohexyl amine used as the raw material. Example 5 In a beaker having an inner volume of 500 ml, 100 g of sulphuric acid and 200 g of silica gel (product of Wako Junyaku marketed under trademark designation of "Wako Gel C100") were stirred to effect support of the acid on the silica gel. Separately, a reactor was prepared by furnishing a glass flask having an inner volume of 1 litre with a thermometer, a stirrer, and a water separator. Then, a solution of 53 g of powdered maleic anhydride in 50 g of p-cymene was placed in the reactor. Subsequently, the inner temperature of the reactor was adjusted to 130°C and a solution of 40 g of n-butylamine in 400 g of p-cymene was added piecemeal thereto in a dropwise manner over a period of 30 minutes, to synthesise a slurry solution of N-(n-butyl) maleinamic acid. The slurry solution thus obtained and the supported catalyst, 0.034 g of zinc acetate, and 0.065 g of p-methoxyphenol added thereto were left reacting at 180°C, with the formed water continuously expelled in combination with the p-cymene from the reaction system in the meantime. After the reaction was completed, the reaction solution was analysed for the concentration of N-(n-butyl) maleimide. As the result, the yield of the product was found to be 80.4 mol%.

Claims: A method for the production of a maleimide of formula II: wherein R is one of alkyl of 1-20 carbon atoms, phenyl, benzyl, cyclohexyl, pyridyl, quinolyl and these moieties when substituted by halogen, carboxyl or nitro, which comprises the sequential steps of: reacting maleic anhydride with a primary amine of the formula NH₂-R, R being as defined above, to form the corresponding maleinamic acid; and effecting a ring closure reaction of the maleinamic acid by heating the maleinamic acid in a water insoluble or water inniscible inert non-polar organic solvent, in the presence of a catalyst, characterised in that the solvent is used in a volume ratio of from 1 to 1 to 20 to 1 with respect to the maleinamic acid; the catalyst is supported on a solid inert organic or inorganic carrier and contains an acid component in an amount of 2 to 400 mol% based on the maleinamic acid, at least one catalyst ingredient comprising (a) a strong organic or inorganic acid, (b) an amine acid addition salt produced from the primary amine and a strong inorganic or organic acid, or (c) a mixture of the amine acid addition salt and a strong acid; the heating step being carried out at a temperature of from 120° to 250°C; the water thus formed being continuously distilled off as a mixture with the solvent. A method as claimed in Claim 1, characterized in that the amount of the catalyst to be supported is the range of 0.5 to 500% by weight based on the carrier. A method as claimed in Claim 1, or Claim 2,, characterised in that the solid carrier is one or more of diatomaceous earth, silica gel, and activated carbon. A method as claimed in any preceding Claim, characterized in that the imidation of the maleinamic acid by dehydration and ring-closure is carried out in the presence of a metal-containing compound. A method as claimed in Claim 4, characterised in that the metal-containing compound is an acetate.

Inventors: BABA MASAO, FUKUI AKIO, KITA YUICHI, NAKAGAWA KOICHI, NAKAGAWA YOICHI, SAKAMOTO KENTARO, BABA, MASAO, FUKUI, AKIO, KITA, YUICHI, NAKAGAWA, KOICHI, NAKAGAWA, YOICHI, SAKAMOTO, KENTARO
Applicants: NIPPON CATALYTIC CHEM IND, NIPPON SHOKUBAI CO., LTD.
Application year: 1990
Main classification: C07D207
IPC codes: C07D207