847. GRESHAM, W. F. (E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Co.). Amides. United States Patent 2,542,766. Feb. 20, 1951. Chem. Abs., vol. 45, 1951. p. 7138.

Patent Abstracts

Substituted propionamides are prepared in as high as 65-75% yield by treating CO, RR’NH, where R and R’ are H or alkyl groups, and compounds containing a –C=C-group such as olefins, unsaturated nitriles, acids, and esters, at 150º-350º, over 50 atm., preferably 160º-260º and 100-2,000 atm., in the presence of organic compounds of Co, such as the carbonyl compounds, or salts of carboxylic acids. C₂H₄ 1.1, NH₃ 1.0 CO 1.2, C₆H₆ 0.8 and Co naphthenate 0.002 mol. were passed continuously through a tube at 259º and 605 atm. with a contact time of 4 min. to give a 10.9% conversion to EtCONH₂ and smaller amounts of Et₂CO and HCONH₂. The heel after distillation usually contains Co and is in itself a satisfactory catalyst and can be recycled.