Process for the preparation of 2-alkyl-6-methyl-N-(1'-methoxy-2'-propyl)-aniline and a process for the preparation of their chloracetanilides

摘要

A process for the preparation of 2-alkyl-6-methyl-N-(1'methoxy-2'-propyl)-aniline by catalytic reductive alkylation wherein at least one mole equivalent of methoxyacetone is reacted with one mole equivalent of 2-alkyl-6-methyl-aniline in a liquid medium without an additional solvent, in the presence of a platinised carbon catalyst and hydrogen and in the presence of an acid cocatalyst under a hydrogen pressure of between 2 x 105 and 1 x 106 Pa at a temperature between 20 and 80 DEG C, characterised in that the reaction mixture contains water from the beginning of the reaction and after the hydrogenation, base is added, the reaction mixture is filtered to separate the catalyst and the title compound recovered from the filtrate. The process is particularly useful for the preparation of N-substituted chloracetanilide herbicides.