Ammonia → 2-tert-Butyl-6-methylaniline

Participants

Reaction Steps

In a pressure reaction vessel was placed 0.55 mole parts of 2-methyl-6-tert-butylphenol, 0.55 mole parts of 2-methyl-6-tert-butylcyclohexanone, 0.0045 mole parts of palladium (5 weight per cent on charcoal support) and 3 mole parts of ammonia. The vessel was sealed and, while stirring, heated to 250°C. (Water was not added in this example because the initial reaction of ammonia with cyclohexanone produced 0.55 mole part of water.) The mixture was stirred at this temperature for 3 hours and then cooled and distilled, giving a 46.8 per cent conversion to 2-methyl-6-tert-butyl aniline. The yield of 2-methyl-6-tert-butyl aniline based on consumed phenol was about 98 per cent.

Provenance & Evidence