Copper-chromite amides

Hydrolysis of primary amides cataly2ed by acids or bases is very slow. Even more difficult is the hydrolysis of substituted amides. The dehydration of amides which produces nitriles is of great commercial value (8). Amides can also be reduced to primary and secondary amines using copper chromite catalyst (9) or metallic hydrides (10). The generally unreactive nature of amides makes them attractive for many appHcations where harsh conditions exist, such as high temperature, pressure, and physical shear. 

The copper-chromium oxide ("copper chromite") catalyst, which was developed by Adkins, has been considered to be a complement of Raney nickel for hydrogenation reactions.26 This catalyst, which is, essentially, copper supported on chromium oxide or copper-chromium oxide,22-29 is useful for the hydrogenation of esters and amides but does not affect the saturation of... 

ABSTRACT Over a copper chromite type catalyst, a DMEA (dimethylethylamine) yield of 70 % was obtained from monoethylamine (MEA) and methanol with diethylmethylamine (DEMA) as the main by-product. The formation of DMEA was increased to 85 % by just changing the basicity of the catalyst resulting from a change of the rate of the determining steps. The rate of the MEA condensation compared to that of the MEA methylation decreased. Moreover the mechanism of the second methylation step which could involve an intermediate amide ((MEFA) or aminoalkoxide) was different from that of the first methylation step. 

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