Hydrogen Cyanide → 3-Cyano-3,5,5-trimethylcyclohexanone

Participants

Reaction Steps

In reaction apparatus equipped with a stirrer, condenser, thermometer and dripping funnel there are placed 622 g (4.5 mol) of isophorone and 4.47 g (30 mmol) of tetramethylammonium methylcarbonate. Over a period of 60 min there are added, at 120° C., 288.3 g of a mixture of isophorone and hydrocyanic acid (3 mol of HCN, 1.5mol Of isophorone). When all of said mixture has been added, the HCN concentration is 20 ppm. 3.5g of 85% strength H3PO4 are then added and the mixture is distilled at 0.1 mbar. There are obtained 426.6g of isophorone (99% based on converted isophorone) and 476.8 g of 3-cyano-3,5,5-trimethylcyclohexanone (96.2% based on HCN used).

Provenance & Evidence