HYDROGENATION OF ALIPHATIC NITRILES OVER TRANSITION METAL BORIDES

Iron, cobalt, nickel, platinum, ruthenium, rhodium, and copper boride catalysts for the hydrogenation of propionitrile, butyronitrile, and acrylonitrile were investigated. The product spectrum, catalyst activity, and effects of medium and other metal additives on these catalysts were studied. In the absence of alkaline additives, a mixture of primary, secondary, and tertiary amines is formed. Nickel and cobalt boride are the most effective for primary amine formation, rhodium boride for secondary amine formation, and platinum boride for tertiary amine formation. The borides are more selective and more active than the corresponding metals. In the hydrogenation of acrylonitrile suppression of secondary and tertiary amine formation by the addition of ammonia is complicated by the addition of ammonia to C=C. An acrylonitrile-anthracene adduct was hydrogenated to give allylamine as the major product. © 1969, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.