Patent ID: 8835661

Claim:
A process for synthesizing acids or esters of ω-aminoalkanoic acids comprising 11 or 12 carbon atoms from ω-unsaturated acid or ester comprising, respectively, 10 or 11 carbon atoms, wherein the process comprises: nitrilation of the ω-unsaturated acid/ester of the charge, of formula CH 2 ═CH—(CH 2 ) n —COOR, in which n is 7 or 8 and R is either H or an alkyl radical comprising 1 to 4 carbon atoms, by action of ammonia, in a reactor operating continuously in gas phase or in mixed gas-liquid phase, in the presence of a solid catalyst, conversion of the resulting nitrile of formula CH 2 ═CH—(CH 2 ) n —CN by metathesis with an acrylate of formula CH 2 ═CH—COOR 1 , where R 1 is either H or an alkyl radical comprising 1 to 4 carbon atoms, and hydrogenative reduction of the nitrile function of the compound of formula R 1 OOC—CH═CH—(CH 2 ) n —CN to give an amino acid or an amino ester of formula R 1 OOC—(CH 2 ) n+2 —CH 2 NH 2 .