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oa Catalytic Hydration of Nitriles to Amides
Platinum-Containing Catalyst Offers new Opportunity
- Source: Platinum Metals Review, Volume 40, Issue 4, Oct 1996, p. 169 - 174
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- 01 Jan 1996
Abstract
The hydration of nitriles to amides is one of the basic transformations in organic chemistry However, it is not generally appreciated how difficult this transformation is to carry out efficiently since amides themselves undergo further hydrolysis to the acid. While nicotinamide and acrylamide are usually manufactured from the corresponding nitriles using metallic copper heterogeneous catalysts, applications in the fine chemicals industry are rare. Now, the use of a new platinum-containing homogeneous catalyst applicable to complex organic nitriles containing sensitive functional groups will create an opportunity for nitrile hydration in the fine chemical and pharmaceutical industries.
© Johnson Matthey