Patent ID: 8796472

Claim:
A process for preparing 1,3-alkylmethylpyrrolidone of the general formula (VI) and/or 1,4-alkylmethylpyrrolidone of the general formula (VII) which comprises reacting a mixture comprising itaconic acid or an itaconic acid derivative and a primary amine of the formula (I) with hydrogen in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst R—NH 2 (I) where the molar ratio of primary amine to itaconic acid or the itaconic acid derivative is in the range from 0.5:1 to 20:1 and the mixture comprises 50 mole percent or less of 4-carboxypyrrolidones of the formula (II), derivatives of the 4-carboxypyrrolidones of the formula (II) and 4-carbamidopyrrolidones of the formula (III), based on itaconic acid or itaconic acid derivative, and R is a linear or branched saturated aliphatic radical having 1 to 24 carbon atoms or a saturated cycloaliphatic radical having 3 to 24 carbon atoms.