Bicyclic amidines, process for their preparation, and their use as catalyst

The process for the preparation of bicyclic amidines of the general formula: 1 wherein A is selected from the group consisting of -CR 1 R 2 -CR 3 R 4 -CR 5 R 6 -, -CR 1 R 2 -CR 3 R 4 -CR 5 R 6 -CR 7 R 8 -and -CR 1 R 2 -CR 3 R 4 -CR 5 R 6 -CR 7 R 8 -CR 9 R 10 -, wherein the substituents in A are in each case numbered starting from the nitrogen atom, and B is selected from the group consisting of -CR 11 R 12 -CR 13 R 14 -, -CR 11 R 12 -CR 15 R 16 CR 13 R 14 - and -CR 11 R 12 -CR 15 R 16 -CR 17 R 18 -CR 13 R 14 -, and R 1 , R 2 and R 11 to R 14 are, in each case independently of one another, hydrogen, C 1 -C 4 -alkyl, aryl, or are C 1 -C 4 -alkyl which is substituted with hydroxyl, amino, C 1 -C 4 -alkylamino or mercapto, and R 3 to R 10 and R 15 to R 18 are, in each case independently of one another, hydrogen, C 1 -C 4 -alkyl, aryl, hydroxyl, amino, C 1 -C 4 -alkylamino or mercapto, or are C 1 -C 4 -alkyl which is substituted with hydroxyl, amino, C 1 -C 4 -alkylamino or mercapto. The process includes heating (reacting) a lactone of the general formula: 2 wherein A is as defined above, to at least 150° C. together with an at least equimolar quantity of an amine of the general formula: H 2 N-B-NH 2 III wherein B is as defined above. The resultant reaction mixture is subjected, without isolating an intermediate, to a fractional distillation.