Patent ID: 7381845

Claim:
A process for hydrogenating nitrile functions in organic compounds in the presence of at least one heterogeneous catalyst, the process comprising hydrogenating the nitrile function of the organic compound in the presence of an ionic liquid, wherein the ionic liquid comprises an anion selected from the group consisting of halides F − , Cl − , Br − , I − , acetate CH 3 COO − , trifluoroacetate CF 3 COO − , triflate CF 3 SO 3 − , sulfate SO 4 2− , hydrogensulfate HSO 4 − , methylsulfate CH 3 OSO 3 − , ethylsulfate C 2 H 5 OSO 3− , sulfite SO 3 2− , hydrogensulfite HSO 3 − , chloroaluminates AlCl 4 − , Al 2 Cl 7 − , Al 3 Cl 10 − , tetrabromoaluminate AlBr 4 − , nitrite NO 2 − , nitrate NO 3 − , dichlorocuprate CuCl 2 − , phosphates, phosphate PO 4 3− , hydrogenphosphate HPO 4 2− , dihydrogenphosphate H 2 PO 4 − , carbonate CO 3 2− , hydrogencarbonate HCO 3 − , sulfonate —SO 3 − , tosylate p-CH 3 C 6 H 4 SO 3 − and bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (CF 3 SO 2 ) 2 N, and the ionic liquid contains phosphonium ions, or at least one five- or six-membered heterocycle which contains at least one phosphorus or nitrogen atom and optionally, a sulfur atom, an oxygen atom or both oxygen and sulfur atoms, or both the phosphonium ions and the at least one heterocycle.