Patent ID: 8748651

Claim:
A process for the synthesis of an ω-amino acid or ester of formula ROOC—(CH 2 ) q —CH 2 NH 2 , in which R is H or an alkyl radical having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms and q is an integer between 2 and 13, comprising the steps of: a) converting a monounsaturated fatty acid or ester of formula R 1 —CH═CH—(CH 2 ) p —COOR 2 into an ω-unsaturated nitrile of formula CH 2 ═CH—(CH 2 ) p —CN, wherein the converting step comprises in successive and in any order an ammoniation reaction and an ethenolysis reaction, wherein R 1 is H, or a hydrocarbon radical comprising from 4 to 11 carbon atoms which may be optionally substituted with a hydroxyl functional group, R 2 is H or an alkyl radical comprising from 2 to 4 carbon atoms and p is an integer between 2 and 11; b) converting the ω-unsaturated nitrile into an acid or ester nitrile of formula R 3 OOC—[CH═CH] x —(CH 2 ) p —CN, either by oxidative cleavage of the ω-unsaturated nitrile or by a cross metathesis reaction of the co-unsaturated nitrile with an acrylate of formula CH 2 ═CH—COOR 3 , wherein R 3 is H or an alkyl radical comprising from 1 to 4 carbon atoms and x is 0 or 1; and c) hydrogenating the acid or ester nitrile to form the co-amino acid or ester of formula ROOC—(CH 2 ) q —CH 2 NH 2 .