Caprolactam → 2H-Azepin-2-one, 1-butylhexahydro-

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

113.2 g of fresh caprolactam (1.0 mol) is dissolved in 250 g of crude distillate containing 3.4% of caprolactam (8.5 g of caprolactam prepared as in a), and the resulting mixture is heated to 150° C. 202 g of a 30.16 wt. % strength sodium methoxide-methanol solution (1.13 mol) is metered in at 140° C. over a period of one hour while distilling methanol. All the methanol is distilled by briefly applying vacuum. 104.5 g of n-butyl chloride (1.13 mol) is then metered in at 140° C. over a period of one hour. After allowing the mixture to continue reacting for 4 hours, the reaction mixture is subjected to an initial cooling, and all the NBC is distilled from the sodium chloride in vacuo; boiling point of NBC: 90° C./0.5 mbar. Weight: 406 g. GC Purity: 96.3% of NBC, 2.7% of caprolactam. Yield: 83.0% of theory or 91.2% if caprolactam is recycled. NBC can be redistilled through a column to give a product having a purity of about 99%.

Provenance & Evidence