2-(2-Hydroxyethyl)pyridine → 2-Piperidin-2-ylethanol

Hydrogenations were carried out by charging solvent, when utilized, 246 g of 2-pyridineethanol, and 2.5 g of ruthenium oxide (RuO2) into a pressure vessel capable of agitation, agitating the resulting mixture and pressurizing the vessel and its contents to 500 psig or 1000 psig with hydrogen. Under constant hydrogen pressure and continued agitation, the reaction mixture was heated to the reaction temperature until hydrogen uptake ceased. The pressure vessel and its contents were cooled, vented and the catalyst removed with vacuum filtration. Upon distillation of the filtrate, 2-piperidineethanol was obtained and analyzed on two separate gc columns (6′ CW 20M 160° C. and 15M DB-1 80° C.→220° C.@ 16° C./m capillary column) to provide product yield and composition of the distillate. The results are provided in Table IV. Hydrogenations were also carried out with recycled RuO2 catalyst under the conditions described above. The results of these reactions utilizing recycled catalyst are provided in Table V.