Production of 5-methyl-1-hydrocarbyl-2-pyrrolidone by reductive amination of levulinic acid

1. A process for preparing 5-methyl-1-R 1 -2-pyrrolidone (III), the process comprising the step of contacting levulinic acid (I) with a primary amine (II) in the presence of hydrogen gas and a catalyst, the catalyst being optionally supported on a catalyst support, and, optionally, said contacting is performed in the presence of a solvent;

wherein R 1 is a hydrocarbyl or a substituted hydrocarbyl group having from 1 to 30 carbons, and R 1 may be C 1 -C 30 unsubstituted or substituted alkyl, C 1 -C 30 unsubstituted or substituted alkenyl, C 1 -C 30 unsubstituted or substituted alkynyl, C 3 -C 30 unsubstituted or substituted cycloalkyl, or C 3 -C 30 unsubstituted or substituted cycloalkyl containing at least one heteroatom.

2. A process for preparing a reaction product comprising 5-methyl-1-R 2 -2-pyrrolidone (VI), the process comprising the step of contacting an ammonium salt of levulinic acid (IV) with a primary amine (V) in the presence of hydrogen gas and a catalyst, the catalyst being optionally supported on a catalyst support, and, optionally, said contacting is performed in the presence of a solvent;

wherein R 2 is a hydrocarbyl or a substituted hydrocarbyl group having from 1 to 30 carbons, and wherein R 2 may be C 1 -C 30 unsubstituted or substituted alkyl, C 1 -C 30 unsubstituted or substituted alkenyl, C 1 -C 30 unsubstituted or substituted alkynyl, C 3 -C 30 unsubstituted or substituted cycloalkyl, or unsubstituted or substituted cycloalkyl containing at least one heteroatom.

3. A process for preparing a reaction product comprising 5-methyl-1-R 3 -2-pyrrolidone (IX), the process comprising the step of contacting an R 3 -ammonium salt of levulinic acid (VII) with ammonia or ammonium hydroxide (VIII), in the presence of hydrogen gas and a catalyst, the catalyst being optionally supported on a catalyst support, and, optionally, said contacting is performed in the presence of a solvent;

wherein R 3 is a hydrocarbyl or a substituted hydrocarbyl group having from 1 to 30 carbons, and wherein R 3 may be C 1 -C 30 unsubstituted or substituted alkyl, C 1 -C 30 unsubstituted or substituted alkenyl, C 1 -C 30 unsubstituted or substituted alkynyl, C 3 -C 30 unsubstituted or substituted cycloalkyl, or C 3 -C 30 unsubstituted or substituted cycloalkyl containing at least one heteroatom, and wherein A is hydrogen or hydronium ion (H 3 O + ).

4. A process for preparing a reaction product comprising 5-methyl-1-R 6 -2-pyrrolidone (XII), the process comprising the step of contacting an R 4 -ammonium salt of levulinic acid (X) with a primary amine (XI) in the presence of hydrogen gas and a catalyst, the catalyst being optionally supported on a catalyst support, and, optionally, said contacting is performed in the presence of a solvent;

wherein R 4 , R 5 , and R 6 , independently, are hydrocarbyl or substituted hydrocarbyl groups having from 1 to 30 carbons, and wherein R 4 , R 5 and R 6 independently, may be C 1 -C 30 unsubstituted or substituted alkyl, C 1 -C 30 unsubstituted or substituted alkenyl, C 1 -C 30 unsubstituted or substituted alkynyl, C 3 -C 30 unsubstituted or substituted cycloalkyl, or C 3 -C 30 unsubstituted or substituted cycloalkyl containing at least one heteroatom.

5. A process for preparing a reaction product comprising 5-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (XV), the process comprising the step of contacting the compound represented by Formula (XIII) with the compound represented by Formula (XIV) in the presence of hydrogen gas and a catalyst, the catalyst being optionally supported on a catalyst support, and, optionally, said contacting is performed in the presence of a solvent;

wherein A is either hydrogen or ammonium ion (NH 4 + ), and B is either hydrogen or hydronium ion (H 3 O + ).

6. The process as recited in claims 1 , 2 , 3 , or 4 , wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 or R 6 is an alkyl group having from 1 to 12 carbons or a cycloalkyl group having from 6 to 12 carbons, wherein the catalyst is supported and the supported catalyst is palladium on carbon or palladium on titania, and wherein the temperature of the reaction is from about 75° C. to 200° C. and the pressure of the reaction is from about 1.3 MPa to about 8 MPa.

7. The process as recited in claim 5 , wherein the catalyst and support are palladium on carbon or palladium on titania, and wherein the temperature of the reaction is from about 75° C. to 250° C. and the pressure of the reaction is from about 1.3 MPa to about 8 MPa.

8. The process as recited in claim 1 , wherein the catalyst is selected from metals selected from the group consisting of nickel, copper, cobalt, iron, rhodium, ruthenium, rhenium, osmium, iridium, platinum, palladium, at least one Raney metal; compounds thereof; and combinations thereof.

9. The process as recited in claim 2 , wherein the catalyst is selected from metals selected from the group consisting of nickel, copper, cobalt, iron, rhodium, ruthenium, rhenium, osmium, iridium, platinum, palladium, at least one Raney metal; compounds thereof; and combinations thereof.

10. The process as recited in claim 3 , wherein the catalyst is selected from metals selected from the group consisting of nickel, copper, cobalt, iron, rhodium, ruthenium, rhenium, osmium, iridium, platinum, palladium, at least one Raney metal; compounds thereof; and combinations thereof.

11. The process as recited in claim 4 , wherein the catalyst is selected from metals selected from the group consisting of nickel, copper, cobalt, iron, rhodium, ruthenium, rhenium, osmium, iridium, platinum, palladium, at least one Raney metal; compounds thereof; and combinations thereof.

12. The process as recited in claim 5 , wherein the catalyst is selected from metals selected from the group consisting of nickel, copper, cobalt, iron, rhodium, ruthenium, rhenium, osmium, iridium, platinum, palladium, at least one Raney metal; compounds thereof; and combinations thereof.

13. The process as recited in claim 1 , wherein the catalyst support is selected from the group consisting of carbon, alumina, silica, silica-alumina, silica-titania, titania, titania-alumina, barium sulfate, calcium carbonate, strontium carbonate, compounds thereof, and combinations thereof.

14. The process as recited in claim 2 , wherein the catalyst support is selected from the group consisting of carbon, alumina, silica, silica-alumina, silica-titania, titania, titania-alumina, barium sulfate, calcium carbonate, strontium carbonate, compounds thereof, and combinations thereof.

15. The process as recited in claim 3 , wherein the catalyst support is selected from the group consisting of carbon, alumina, silica, silica-alumina, silica-titania, titania, titania-alumina, barium sulfate, calcium carbonate, strontium carbonate, compounds thereof, and combinations thereof.

16. The process as recited in claim 4 , wherein the catalyst support is selected from the group consisting of carbon, alumina, silica, silica-alumina, silica-titania, titania, titania-alumina, barium sulfate, calcium carbonate, strontium carbonate, compounds thereof, and combinations thereof.

17. The process as recited in claim 5 , wherein the catalyst support is selected from the group consisting of carbon, alumina, silica, silica-alumina, silica-titania, titania, titania-alumina, barium sulfate, calcium carbonate, strontium carbonate, compounds thereof, and combinations thereof.

18. The process as recited in claim 1 , wherein the process is optionally performed in the presence of a promoter.

19. The process as recited in claim 2 , wherein the process is optionally performed in the presence of a promoter.

20. The process as recited in claim 3 , wherein the process is optionally performed in the presence of a promoter.

21. The process as recited in claim 4 , wherein the process is optionally performed in the presence of a promoter.

22. The process as recited in claim 5 , wherein the process is optionally performed in the presence of a promoter.

23. The process as recited in claim 1 , wherein R 1 is an unsubstituted or substituted hydrocarbyl group having from 1 to 12 carbons.

24. The process as recited in claim 2 , wherein R 2 is an unsubstituted or substituted hydrocarbyl group having from 1 to 12 carbons.

25. The process as recited in claim 3 , wherein R 3 is an unsubstituted or substituted hydrocarbyl group having from 1 to 12 carbons.

26. The process as recited in claim 4 , wherein R 4 , R 5 and R 6 are, independently, an unsubstituted or substituted hydrocarbyl group having from 1 to 12 carbons.

27. The process as recited in claim 1 , wherein the molar ratio of primary amine, ammonia or ammmonium ion to levulinic acid or its salt is from about 0.01/1 to about 100/1 at the start of the reaction.

28. The process as recited in claim 2 , wherein the molar ratio of primary amine, ammonia or ammmonium ion to levulinic acid or its salt is from about 0.01/1 to about 100/1 at the start of the reaction.

29. The process as recited in claim 3 , wherein the molar ratio of primary amine, ammonia or ammmonium ion to levulinic acid or its salt is from about 0.01/1 to about 100/1 at the start of the reaction.

30. The process as recited in claim 4 , wherein the molar ratio of primary amine, ammonia or ammmonium ion to levulinic acid or its salt is from about 0.01/1 to about 100/1 at the start of the reaction.

31. The process as recited in claim 5 , wherein the molar ratio of primary amine, ammonia or ammmonium ion to levulinic acid or its salt is from about 0.01/1 to about 100/1 at the start of the reaction.

32. The process as recited in claim 1 , wherein the solvent medium for the reaction is selected from the group consisting of water, alcohols, ethers, primary amines of Formula (II), ammonia, ammonium hydroxide, pyrrolidones, and the reaction product of claim 1 .

33. The process as recited in claim 2 , wherein the solvent medium for the reaction is selected from the group consisting of water, alcohols, ethers, primary amines of Formula (V), ammonia, ammonium hydroxide, pyrrolidones, and the reaction product of claim 2 .

34. The process as recited in claim 3 , wherein the solvent medium for the reaction is selected from the group consisting of water, alcohols, ethers, primary amines of Formula (VIII), ammonia, ammonium hydroxide, pyrrolidones, and the reaction product of claim 3 .

35. The process as recited in claim 4 , wherein the solvent medium for the reaction is selected from the group consisting of water, alcohols, ethers, primary amines of Formula (Xl), ammonia, ammonium hydroxide, pyrrolidones, and the reaction product of claim 4 .

36. The process as recited in claim 5 , wherein the solvent medium for the reaction is selected from the group consisting of water, alcohols, ethers, ammonia, ammonium hydroxide, pyrrolidones, and the reaction product of claim 5 .

37. The process as recited in claims 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 or 31 wherein the reaction is performed at a temperature of from about 50° C. to about 300° C.

38. The process as recited in claims 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 or 31 wherein the reaction is performed at a hydrogen partial pressure of from about 0.3 MPa to about 20 MPa.