One-step one-pot synthesis of aliphatic amine and nitriles

Unmet Need: Single-step synthesis of aliphatic amine and nitriles

With a growing market of high-quality surfactant and emulsifiers, global demand for amine and nitriles is growing rapidly. Traditionally, aliphatic amine are synthesized in multi-step process that treat feeds of multiple components like alcohols, olefin, nitriles etc. Current synthesis routes employed to produce aliphatic amine and nitriles have drawbacks like use of expensive reagents, multi-step process, formation of toxic by-products and poor selectivity to primary amine and nitriles.

The Technology: Nitrogen functionalization through Fischer-Tropsch process

Researchers at WSU present a regioselective one-step one-pot synthesis of aliphatic primary amine and nitriles using the catalytic CO hydrogenation through Fischer-Tropsch as a vehicle of producing long-chain hydrocarbons and ammonia as an agent to provide terminal nitrogen functionalization.

Applications:

• Applicable as surfactant and emulsifiers.

• Aliphatic amine are used to produce chemicals for crop protection, medication, water purification and products of personal care.

• Nitriles are used to produce medicinal drugs like antipsychotic and antidiabetic drugs.

Advantages:

• Reduced complexity to single step and single pot process.

• Tunable reaction to produce either amine or nitriles based on requirement.

Patent Information:

Provisional patent application has been filed.