Patent ID: 8766011

Claim:
A method for producing an aminoalcohol from an aminoaldehyde, the method comprising the steps of: (i) subjecting a composition comprising an aminoaldehyde according to Formula (I) below to a hydrogenation reaction by combining the aminoaldehyde with hydrogen and a hydrogenation catalyst to yield a corresponding aminoalcohol, wherein the aminoaldehyde is not protonated or neutralized during the reaction: where each R 1 is independently selected from hydrogen, linear or branched C 1 to C 30 alkyl groups, C 3 to C 20 cycloalkyl groups, saturated C 2 to C 20 heterocyclic groups, linear or branched C 1 to C 30 alkyl groups that can contain one or more of, or any mixture thereof, either C 3 to C 20 cycloalkyl groups or saturated C 2 to C 20 heterocyclic groups, or where both R 1 substituents and the carbon atom to which they are attached can form a saturated or unsaturated C 3 to C 20 cyclic group, heterocyclic group or carbocyclic group; where each R 2 is independently selected from hydrogen, linear or branched C 1 to C 30 alkyl groups, C 3 to C 20 cycloalkyl groups, saturated C 2 to C 20 heterocyclic groups, linear or branched C 1 to C 30 alkyl groups that can contain one or more of, or any mixture thereof, either C 3 to C 20 cycloalkyl groups or saturated C 2 to C 20 heterocyclic groups, or where both R 2 substituents and the carbon atom to which they are attached can form a saturated or unsaturated C 3 to C 20 cyclic group, heterocyclic group or carbocyclic group; where one R 1 substituent and one R 2 substituent and the carbon atoms to which they are attached can form a saturated C 3 to C 20 cyclic group or a saturated C 3 to C 20 heterocyclic group, wherein the remaining R 1 substituent and R 2 substituent either form a second cyclic structure as defined above or wherein the remaining R 1 substituent and R 2 substituent are individually substituted with a group listed above; where each R 3 is independently selected from hydrogen, linear or branched C 1 to C 30 alkyl groups, linear or branched C 1 to C 30 alkyl groups that contain one or more heteroatoms, linear or branched C 2 to C 30 alkenyl groups, linear or branched C 2 to C 30 alkenyl groups that contain one or more heteroatoms, linear or branched C 2 to C 30 alkynyl groups, linear or branched C 2 to C 30 alkynyl groups that contain one or more heteroatoms, C 4 to C 20 aryl groups, C 4 to C 20 aryl groups that contain one or more heteroatoms, C 4 to C 20 cycloalkyl groups, C 4 to C 20 cycloalkyl groups that contain one or more heteroatoms, C 4 to C 20 heterocyclic groups, or where both R 3 substituents and the nitrogen atom to which they are attached can form a substituted or unsubstituted, saturated or unsaturated C 2 to C 20 heterocyclic group or a substituted or unsubstituted, saturated or unsaturated C 2 to C 20 heterocyclic group having two or more heteroatoms, where said heteroatoms are optionally substituted; and where n is equal to an integer in the range of 1 to 30; and (ii) collecting the aminoalcohol.