Journal of the American Chemical Society

A Low Pressure Process for the Reduction of Nitriles. Use of Rhodium Catalyst1

M Freifelder

Index: Freifelder,M. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 1960 , vol. 82, p. 2386 - 2389

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Citation Number: 71

Abstract

A low pressure catalytic reduction procedure for the conversion of sixteen aliphatic nitriles to primary amines is described. The hydrogenations are carried out at room temperature in the presence of ammonia in a P ur apparatus, using 57, rhodiumon-alumina. Of particular interest is the reduction of 3-indoleacetonitrile to tryptamine under low pressure conditions. Except for 3-indoleacetonitrile the nitrile used in this study are of the type R (CH,), CN ...