Process for the production of aminodiphenylamines

1. Process for the production of aminodiphenylamines comprising the steps of reacting nitrohalogenated benzenes with anilines in the presence of a base and a catalyst, wherein the catalyst is copper-phosphorus complexes of the general formula

wherein

X may be identical or different and denotes O, NH, S or C n H 2n , with the proviso that n may be arbitrarily chosen for each X and denotes 0, 1, 2 or 3,

M may be identical or different and denotes C 6 -C 18 -aryl, C 1 -C 19 -alkyl, C 7 -C 19 -aralkyl or denotes heteroaryl with 1 to 3 heteroatoms and 6 to 19 C atoms, wherein two or more radicals M may arbitrarily be bridged by a covalent bridge or by an alkylidene bridge containing 1 to 4 carbon atoms,

Y denotes halogen or a trifluoroacetyl, trifluoromethanesulfonyl, nonafluorobutanesulfonyl, cyanide, acetyl, an optionally fluorinated acetylacetonyl, a nitrate, arylsulfonyl, oxinate, phosphate, carbonate or tetrafluoroborate radical,

z denotes 1, 2 or 3,

m denotes integers from 1 to 6,

r denotes 0, 1 or 2, and

s denotes 0 or 1,

wherein intermediately formed nitrodiphenylamines are hydrogenated.

2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the copper-phosphorus complexes are prepared by reacting phosphorous compounds of the formula (II)

with copper compounds of the formula (III)

Cu—Y r (III)

wherein M, X, Y, s, z and r have the meanings as formula (I).

3. The process according to claim 2 , wherein formula (I) is a copper-phosphine complex, a copper-phosphonite complex or a copper-phosphite complex.

4. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the nitrohalogenated benzenes are selected from the group consisting of 4-nitro-2-methylchlorobenzene, 4-nitro-3-methylfluorobenzene, 4-nitrochlorobenzene, 3-nitro-chloro-benzene or 2-nitrochlorobenzene, 4-nitrochlorobenzene, 4-nitrophenyl-trifluoromethanesulfonic acid ester, 4-nitrophenylnonafluorobutane-sulfonic acid ester, 4-nitrophenyl carbamate and 4-nitrophenyltrifluoro-methylsulfonic acid ester.

5. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the aniline is a o-, m- or p-substituted aniline.

6. The process according to claim 5 , wherein the substituted aniline is selected from the group consisting of vinylaniline, 4-tert.-butylaniline, p-anisidine, o-anisidine, o-toluidine, p-toluidine, anthranilic acid methyl ester, o-aminobenzonitrile, p-aminobenzonitrile and 4-ethylaniline.

7. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the base is selected from the group consisting of alkali metal, alkaline earth metal carbonate, alcoholate, phosphate, fluoride, hydroxide and mixture thereof.

8. The process according to claim 7 , wherein the base is selected from the group consisting of potassium carbonate, sodium carbonate, caesium carbonate, caesium hydrogen carbonate, sodium methanolate, potassium tert.-butylate, potassium amylate, caesium fluoride, potassium phosphate and barium hydroxide.