Continuous reduction of a hindered nitro moiety in aliphatic nitro polyamines

摘要

Nitro polyamines, and especially dinitro polyamines, can be readily reduced by a catalyst of zerovalent nickel on silica where the silica contains not more than 10% alumina and where the nickel content of the finished catalyst may be as high as 85%. The reductions can be performed under relatively low temperatures between 40 degrees and 120 degrees C. to avoid the problem of heat lability of the reactant nitro polyamines. Hydrogenations proceed with good conversion as well as good selectivity and the method offers a means of continuous hydrogenation of nitro polyamines.