Catalytic hydrogenation of unsaturated dinitriles

摘要

Unsaturated dinitriles are hydrogenated to saturated diamines using a rhodium catalyst on a silica support having a surface area larger than 275 m2/g, a pore volume of from about 1.0 to 1.5 mL/g and an average pore size of from about 100 to about 175 A. The supported rhodium catalyst is prepared by a method which includes the steps of contacting a silica support having the characteristics described above with a solution or dispersion of rhodium or a reducible compound of rhodium, and then subjecting the impregnated silica support to vacuum treatment.