Nitrile acrylamide

Even ia 1960 a catalytic route was considered the answer to the pollution problem and the by-product sulfate, but nearly ten years elapsed before a process was developed that could be used commercially. Some of the eadier attempts iacluded hydrolysis of acrylonitrile on a sulfonic acid ion-exchange resia (69). Manganese dioxide showed some catalytic activity (70), and copper ions present ia two different valence states were described as catalyticaHy active (71), but copper metal by itself was not active. A variety of catalysts, such as Umshibara or I Jllmann copper and nickel, were used for the hydrolysis of aromatic nitriles, but aUphatic nitriles did not react usiag these catalysts (72). Beginning ia 1971 a series of patents were issued to The Dow Chemical Company (73) describiag the use of copper metal catalysis. Full-scale production was achieved the same year. A solution of acrylonitrile ia water was passed over a fixed bed of copper catalyst at 85°C, which produced a solution of acrylamide ia water with very high conversions and selectivities to acrylamide. 

The heat of hydration is approximately —70 kj /mol (—17 kcal/mol). This process usually produces no waste streams, but if the acrylonitrile feed contains other nitrile impurities, they will be converted to the corresponding amides. Another reaction that is prone to take place is the hydrolysis of acrylamide to acryhc acid and ammonia. However, this impurity can usually be kept at very low concentrations. American Cyanamid uses a similar process ia both the United States and Europe, which provides for their own needs and for sales to the merchant market. 

The hydrolysis of nitriles can be carried out with either isolated enzymes or immobilized cells. Eor example, resting cells of P. chlororaphis can accumulate up to 400 g/L of acrylamide in 8 h, provided acrylonitrile is added gradually to avoid nitrile hydratase inhibition (116). The degree of acrylonitrile conversion to acrylamide is 99% without any formation of acryUc acid. Because of its high efficiency the process has been commercialized and currentiy is used by Nitto Chemical Industry Co. on a multithousand ton scale. 

NR, styrene-butadiene mbber (SBR), polybutadiene rubber, nitrile mbber, acrylic copolymer, ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymer, and A-B-A type block copolymer with conjugated dienes have been used to prepare pressure-sensitive adhesives by EB radiation [116-126]. It is not necessary to heat up the sample to join the elastomeric joints. This has only been possible due to cross-linking procedure by EB irradiation [127]. Polyfunctional acrylates, tackifier resin, and other additives have also been used to improve adhesive properties. Sasaki et al. [128] have studied the EB radiation-curable pressure-sensitive adhesives from dimer acid-based polyester urethane diacrylate with various methacrylate monomers. Acrylamide has been polymerized in the intercalation space of montmorillonite using an EB. The polymerization condition has been studied using a statistical method. The product shows a good water adsorption and retention capacity [129]. 

S (2)-hydroxy-3-butenenitrile from acrolein and HCN trans hydrocyanation using, for instance, acetone cyanohydrin Hydrolysis of nitriles to amides, e.g. acrylonitrile to acrylamide Isomerization of glucose to fructose Esterifications and transesterifications Interesterify positions 1 and 3 of natural glycerides Oxidation of glucose to gluconic acid, glycolic acid to glyoxalic acid... 

Some of the industrial biocatalysts are nitrile hydralase (Nitto Chemicals), which has a productivity of 50 g acrylamide per litre per hour penicillin G amidase (Smith Kline Beechem and others), which has a productivity of 1 - 2 tonnes 6-APA per kg of the immobilized enzyme glucose isomerase (Novo Nordisk, etc.), which has a productivity of 20 tonnes of high fmctose syrup per kg of immobilized enzyme (Cheetham, 1998). Wandrey et al. (2000) have given an account of industrial biocatalysis past, present, and future. It appears that more than 100 different biotransformations are carried out in industry. In the case of isolated enzymes the cost of enzyme is expected to drop due to an efficient production with genetically engineered microorganisms or higher cells. Rozzell (1999) has discussed myths and realities... 

Partial hydrolysis of nitrile gives amides. Conventionally, such reactions occur under strongly basic or acidic conditions.42 A broad range of amides are accessed in excellent yields by hydration of the corresponding nitriles in water and in the presence of the supported ruthenium catalyst Ru(0H)x/A1203 (Eq. 9.19).43 The conversion of acrylonitrile into acrylamide has been achieved in a quantitative yield with better than 99% selectivity. The catalyst was reused without loss of catalytic activity and selectivity. This conversion has important industrial applications. 

Nitrile hydratase (NHase) catalyzes the hydration of nitriles to amides (Figure 1.11) and has been used for production of acrylamide and nicotinamide at large scale. NHases are roughly... 

Nagasawa, T., Shimizu, H. and Yamada, H. (1993) The superiority of the third-generation catalyst, Rhodococcus rhodochrous J1 nitrile hydratase, for industrial production of acrylamide. AppliedMircobiology and Biotechnology, 40, 189-195. 

The significance of the application of immobilized-cell technology in the production of industrially important chemicals is exemplified by the production of acrylamide by immobilized Escherichia coli cells containing nitrile hydratase. The immobilized Escherichia coli cells convert acrylonitrile to acrylamide, yielding 6000 tons of acrylamide per year by this process [28]. 

Yamada, H. and Kobayashi, M. (1996) Nitrile hydratase andits application to industrial production of acrylamide. Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry, 60, 1391-1400. 

The primary use of acrylonitrile is as the raw material for the manufacture of acrylic and modacrylic fibers. Other Major uses include the production of plastics (acrylonitrile-butadiene- styrene (ABS) and styrene-acrylonitrile (SAN), nitrile rubbers, nitrile barrier resins, adiponitrile and acrylamide (EPA 1984). 

The 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of a variety of aromatic and aliphatic nitrile oxides to 2.5-/ra//.v-2.5-diphenylpyrrolidine-derived acrylamide and cinnamamide 399, efficiently affords the corresponding 4,5-dihydroisoxazole-5-carboxamides 400 in highly regio- and stereoselectivity (Scheme 1.47). Acid hydrolysis of these products affords enantiopure 4,5-dihydroisoxazole-5-carboxylic acids 401 (443). 

Propen-l-ol. See Allyl alcohol 2-Propenal. See Acrolein 2-Propenamide. See Acrylamide Propene, copolymerizations of, 16 111 Propene homopolymerization, 16 104-110 Propene polymerization, 16 94, 99 2-Propenenitrile. See Acrylonitrile (AN) Propenoic acid, physical properties, 5 31t Propenoic acid nitrile. See Acrylonitrile (AN)... 

Instead of 3-amlno-l-group would be on the xyethvl)acrylamide, t -15 C Instead of -5 to erature (9 ) to obtain a action, the mixture was iltered. The filtered Ide salt was washed several lie. The filtrates were nitrile was removed by amounts of p-methoxyphenol... 

When acrylamides are used as dipolarophUes, FMO theory predicts that the 4-amido isomer should be preferred, which is contrary to the results found with tertiary amides (129). Semiempirical, ab initio, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations were applied to the regioisomeric transition state stmctures of benzonitrile oxide cycloadditions (129-131). The results suggest that there is an unfavorable steric repulsion between the phenyl ring of the nitrile oxide and the methyl group of the ester (or amide) functionalities of the dipolarophile in the transition state leading to the 4-acyl regioisomer (Scheme 6.17). 

The use of chiral auxiliaries to induce (or even control) diastereoselectivity in the cycloaddition of nitrile oxides with achiral alkenes to give 5-substituted isoxazolines has been investigated by a number of groups. With chiral acrylates, this led mostly to low or modest diastereoselectivity, which was explained in terms of the conformational flexibility of the vinyl-CO linkage of the ester (Scheme 6.33) (179). In cycloadditions to chiral acrylates (or acrylamides), both the direction of the facial attack of the dipole as well as the conformational preference of the rotamers need to be controlled in order to achieve high diastereoselection. Although the attack from one sector of space may well be directed or hindered by the chiral auxiliary, a low diastereomer ratio would result due to competing attack to the respective 7i-faces of both the s-cis and s-trans rotamers of the acrylate or amide. 

The methyl and benzyl esters of proline were also used as chiral auxiliaries in respective acrylamides, but the isoxazoline cycloadducts were obtained with only poor to modest stereoselectivity (189,190). The related indoline-2-carboxylic acid derivative 33, however, showed excellent ability to direct nitrile oxide attack, favoring one rotamer (Scheme 6.37), and thereby leading to 3-phenylisoxazoline-5-carboxamide... 

The first antibody-catalyzed asymmetric 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition was reported recently by Janda and co-workers (382). The reaction of the relatively stable nitrile oxide 280 and dimethyl acrylamide 281 was catalyzed by antibody 29G12 having turnover numbers >50, and the product 282 was obtained in up to >98% ee (Scheme 12.89). The antibody 29G12 was formed for hapten 283 and coupled to a carrier protein by standard protocols. The hapten 283 contains no chiral center and therefore the immune system elicited a stereochemical environment capable of stabilizing the enantiomeric transition state leading to 282. 

The microorganism used has a high endogenous nitrile hydratase ratio when urea was used as an inducer in the presence of cobalt ions. (The nitrilase is undesirable as it converts the acrylamide further into acrylic acid). 

Pseudomonas chloraphis cells were used first, and more recently Rhodococcus rhodochrus Jl. Cells are immobilised in polyacrylamide particles and used in column reactors operated at below 10°C. The acrylamide is produced in 100% yield, and is so pure that polymerisation inhibitors have to be added to prevent spontaneous polymerisation. Both acrylonitrile and acrylamide inhibit the nitrile hydratase the nitrile hydratase is extremely stable. Therefore acrylonitrile is fed to maintain a level of 6% resulting in the accumulation of acrylamide of 66% (w/v), after which is it simply decolourised and concentrated (Yamada and Kobayashi, 1996). 

The chemical intermediates adiponitrile and acrylamide have surpassed nitrile rubbers as end-use products of acrylonitrile in the United States and Japan. Adiponitrile is further converted to hexamethylenediamine (HMDA), which is used to manufacture nylon 6/6. Acrylamide is used to produce water-soluble polymers or copolymers used for paper manufacturing, waste treatment, mining applications and enhanced oil recovery (Langvardt, 1985 Brazdil, 1991). 

Acrylonitrile is a monomer used in high volume principally in the manufacture of acrylic fibres, resins (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, styrene-acrylonitrile and others) and nitrile rubbers (butadiene-acrylonitrile). Other important uses are as an intermediate in the preparation of adiponitrile (for nylon 6/6) and acrylamide and, in the past, as a fumigant. Occupational exposures to acrylonitrile occur in its production and use in the preparation of fibres, resins and other products. It is present in cigarette smoke and has been detected rarely and at low levels in ambient air and water. 

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