Process for preparing 2,2-difluoroethylamine and salts thereof proceeding from difluoroacetonitrile

1. A process for preparing 2,2-difluoroethylamine of formula (I), comprising:

(a) catalytically hydrogenating difluoroacetonitrile of formula (II) to a difluoroethylamide of formula (III)

where

R 1 is H, C 1-12 -alkyl, C 3-8 -cycloalkyl, C 1-12 -haloalkyl, aryl, C 1-12 -alkyl-C 6-10 -aryl,

in the presence of an organic acid of formula (IVa), of an acid chloride of formula (IVb) or an acid anhydride of formula (IVc), or a mixture thereof,

where R 1 is as defined above; and

(b) converting the difluoroethylamide of formula (III) to 2,2-difluoroethylamine by adding an acid which is suitable for cleaving the difluoroethylamide

2. A process according to claim 1 , wherein R 1 is H, methyl, trifluoromethyl, ethyl, n-propyl, isopropyl, n-butyl, isobutyl, sec-butyl, t-butyl, n-pentyl, n-hexyl, 1,3-dimethylbutyl, 3,3-dimethylbutyl, n-heptyl, n-nonyl, n-decyl, n-undecyl, n-dodecyl, phenyl or benzyl.

3. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the acid present in (a) is present in a molar ratio of difluoroacetonitrile to the organic acid of 0.5 to 10.

4. A process according to claim 1 , wherein (a) and (b) are performed without isolation of difluoroethylamide of formula (III).

5. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the catalytic hydrogenation of (a) comprises using a catalyst comprising palladium, platinum, Raney nickel or rhodium.

6. A process according to claim 1 , wherein catalytic hydrogenation involves introducing gaseous hydrogen into a reaction vessel and/or producing gaseous hydrogen in situ.

7. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the acid which is suitable for cleaving the difluoroethylamide of (b) is selected from the group consisting of H 3 PO 4 , H 2 SO 4 , HCl, HBr, HF, KHSO 4 , CF 3 COOH, CF 3 SO 3 H, CH 3 COOH and p-toluenesulphonic acid.

8. Difluoroethylamide of formula (III) which is suitable for use in the process as defined in claim 1

in which

R 1 is H, C 1-12 -alkyl, C 3-8 -cycloalkyl, C 1-12 -haloalkyl, C 1-12 -alkyl-C 6-10 -aryl.

9. Difluoroethylamide of formula (III) according to claim 8 , in which

R 1 is H, methyl, trifluoromethyl, ethyl, n-propyl, isopropyl, n-butyl, isobutyl, sec-butyl, t-butyl, n-pentyl, n-hexyl, 1,3-dimethylbutyl, 3,3-dimethylbutyl, n-heptyl, n-nonyl, n-decyl, n-undecyl, n-dodecyl, or benzyl.

10. A compound of formula (III) which has been obtained by catalytically hydrogenating difluoroacetonitrile of formula (II) to a difluoroethylamide of formula (III)

where

R 1 is H, C 1-12 -alkyl, C 3-8 -cycloalkyl, C 1-12 -haloalkyl, aryl, C 1-12 -alkyl-C 6-10 -aryl,

in the presence of an organic acid of formula (IVa), of an acid chloride of formula (IVb) or an acid anhydride of formula (IVc), or a mixture thereof,

where R 1 is as defined above.