ELECTROCHEMICAL MAINTENANCE OF OPTIMUM CATALYTIC ACTIVITY IN COPPER-CATALYZED NITRILE HYDROLYSIS PROCESSES

摘要

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSUREA process is provided for maintaining theactivity of a copper-containing catalyst which isuseful in producing amides from nitriles by hydrolysis.The copper-containing catalyst is utilized as at leastone electrode of an electrochemical reactor containinga solution which comprises nitrile and water and whereina direct current is applied to the reactor at leastintermittently. The direct current is controlled tomaintain at least a partial surface coverage of at leastan average thickness of about 0.75 monolayers of ioniccopper on the catalyst.