Akzo Nobel N.v.

Andrea Katharina Jansen

Burkhard Weuste

The present invention generally relates to a process for preparing an N-substituted aldonamide by reacting an aldonic acid in a polar organic solvent with an amine of the formula HNR.sup.1 (X--NR.sup.1)nR.sup.2, wherein R1 and R.about. may be the same or different and represent a hydrogen atom, a (cyclo)aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbon separated by a hetero-atom or not, an amino acid ester, an amino acid amide, an ether amine or an N-alkanoyl alkylene diamine according to the formula R.sup.3 --C(O)N(H)--R.sup.4 --, wherein R.sup.3 =C.sub.1 -C.sub.24 alkyl or alkenyl and R.sup.4 =C.sub.2 -C.sub.22 branched or linear alkylene group, which may contain heteroatoms like N, O, and S, X is a difunctional (cyclo)aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbon separated or not by a heteroatom or a hydrocarbon substituted hetero-atom, and n=0 or 1, with the proviso that when n=0, R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 do not stand for a hydrogen atom simultaneously, characterised in that an aqueous syrup of the aldonic acid is reacted, optionally after esterification with an alcohol with simultaneous distilling off of the water which is present, at a temperature in the range of 30.degree. to 120.degree. C., with the amine in the organic solvent, which is distilled off wholly or in part simultaneously with any water still present and/or formed.

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Eschweiler, Germany

Andrea Katharina Jansen