Hydrogen Cyanide → Isophorone

Participants

Reaction Steps

To 415 g (3 mol) of isophorone containing 12 g (0.077 mol) of tetraethylammonium cyanide there are added dropwise, over a period of 1 hour, 81 g (3 mol) of hydrogen cyanide at a reaction temperature of 108° C. Following a post-reacting period of 3 min the HCN concentration is 0.16%. The effluent is neutralized with 9 g of H3PO4 and distilled. There are obtained 15 g of isophorone and 443.6 g of 3-cyano-3,5,5-trimethylcyclohexanone. This is equivalent to a yield of 89.6% based on HCN used and 93% based on converted isophorone. The distillation residues weigh 28.2 g, which is equivalent to 5.5% based on crude product used.

Provenance & Evidence