DE1543317

1,161,057. Amidating alcohols. ARMOUR & CO. 3 Oct., 1966 [24 Oct., 1965], No. 44088/66. Heading C2C. Amides of the formulµ and where R1, R2 and R3, the same or different, are H, alkyl, arylalkyl, or cycloalkyl containing from 2 to 48 carbon atoms, at least one radical being other than H, R4, R5 and R6, the same or different, are H, alkyl, arylalkyl or cycloalkyl, R7 is H, alkyl, aryl, aminoalkyl or metallic salts of said aminoalkyl, containing from 1 to 21 carbon atoms, and (a + b + c) = 2 to 9, are prepared by reacting the corresponding alcohols with a nitrile of the formula R7-C# N, in the presence of a large molar excess of anhydrous liquid hydrogen fluoride. The temperature employed is generally 0 to 130‹ C. and the reaction time is generally within the range of 5 minutes to 2 hours. A stoichiometric excess of nitrile is preferred, and also a mole ratio of hydrogen fluoride to alcohol of greater than 3. The products may be hydrolysed to the corresponding amines using a hydrolysis reagent comprising an acid or base in aqueous or alcohol solution.