Patent ID: 8884041

Claim:
A process for synthesizing an ω-amino acid (ester) of formula R 3 OOC—(CH 2 ) q —CH 2 NH 2 , in which R 3 is H or an n-butyl radical and q is an integral index of between 2 and 13, from a monounsaturated fatty acid (ester) of formula (R 1 —CH═CH—(CH 2 ) p —COO) x R 2 , in which x represents 1, 2 or 3, R 1 is H or a hydrocarbon radical comprising from 4 to 11 carbon atoms and, where appropriate, a hydroxyl function, R 2 is H or an alkyl radical comprising from 2 to 4 carbon atoms, and may contain one or more heteroatoms, and p is an integral index of between 2 and 11, comprising a reaction step of ammoniation, leading to the conversion of the carbonyl function to a nitrile function, wherein: in a first stage, the unsaturated fatty acid/ester is converted into an ω-unsaturated nitrile of formula CH 2 ═CH—(CH 2 ) p —CN in two successive steps, in any order, ethenolysis and ammoniation, and then in a second stage, this ω-unsaturated nitrile is converted into an ester nitrile of formula R 3 OOC—CH═CH—(CH 2 ) p —CN, in which R 3 is n-butyl, by a cross metathesis reaction of the ω-unsaturated nitrile with an acrylate of formula CH 2 ═CH—COOR 3 , with a catalyst of formula (I), and then in a third stage, the ester nitrile is hydrogenated to ω-amino acid (ester) of formula ROOC—(CH 2 ) q —CH 2 NH 2 .