Claims
- 1. In a process of the present invention an aromatic compound selected from anthracene; phenanthrene; quinoline; isoquinoline and compounds having the formula (X).sub.m (Y).sub.n wherein X is benzene or pyridine, m is 1 or 2, n is 0, 1 or 2, and Y is alkyl having one to six carbon atoms, halogen, nitrile, hydroxy, CONH.sub.2, alkoxy having one to six carbon atoms, aryloxy, amino and aralkyl, with the proviso that when Y is aryloxy, a secondary or tertiary arylamine or an aralkyl, n is 1 and when n is 2, the substituents Y may be the same or different, is aminated by reacting ammonia with said aromatic compound at a temperature of from about 150.degree. C. to about 500.degree. C. and at a pressure of from about 10 to 1000 atmospheres, in the presence of a conditioned Ni/NiO/ZrO.sub.2 cataloreactant with a mole ratio of nickel to nickel oxide of 0.001 to 10, the improvement which comprises carrying out the reaction in intimate molecular contact with said conditioned cataloreactant containing a molar ratio of 0.0001 to 0.05 of a dopant to total nickel, wherein said dopant is selected from an oxide of lanthanum, samarium, holmium, europium, erbium, praseodymium, neodymium, tertium, ytterbium, dysprosium, yttrium and mixtures thereof.
- 2. The improvement of claim 1 wherein the mole ratio of total nickel to zirconium oxide expressed as total nickel to zirconium is 0.1 to 100.
- 3. The improvement of claim 1 wherein the mole ratio of ammonia/aromatic compound is 0.1 to 20.
- 4. The improvement of claim 1 wherein the cataloreactant-dopant is treated with ammonia prior to introduction to the aromatic compound and ammonia.
- 5. The improvement of claim 1 wherein the aromatic compound is benzene.
- 6. The improvement of claim 1 wherein the aromatic compound is pyridine.
- 7. The improvement of claim 1 wherein the aromatic compound is aniline.
- 8. The improvement of claim 1 wherein the aromatic compound is toluene.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This a continuation-in-part of copending application Ser. No. 429,028 filed Dec. 19, 1973 now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
2643256 |
Marsh |
Jun 1953 |
|
2948755 |
Schmerling |
Aug 1960 |
|
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
553,988 |
Mar 1958 |
CA |
Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
Entry |
Zielinski et al., Roczniki Chemii, vol. 45, pp. 1701 to 1708 (1971). |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
429028 |
Dec 1973 |
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