Patent ID: 6900337

Claim:
A process for preparing 5-methyl-1-R 1 -2-pyrrolidone (III), the process comprising the step of contacting levulinic acid (I) with a primary amine (II) in the presence of hydrogen gas and a catalyst, the catalyst being optionally supported on a catalyst support, and, optionally, said contacting is performed in the presence of a solvent; wherein R 1 is a hydrocarbyl or a substituted hydrocarbyl group having from 1 to 30 carbons, and R 1 may be C 1 -C 30 unsubstituted or substituted alkyl, C 1 -C 30 unsubstituted or substituted alkenyl, C 1 -C 30 unsubstituted or substituted alkynyl, C 3 -C 30 unsubstituted or substituted cycloalkyl, or C 3 -C 30 unsubstituted or substituted cycloalkyl containing at least one heteroatom.