Production of n-methylhomopiperazine

TLDR: In this article, N-methyl-2(or 7)-homopiperazinone is used as a raw material and subjected to catalytic reduction usually at 100-350 deg.C under 5-500 kg/cm, preferably 30-150kg/cm pressure in a dioxane solvent in the presence of a copper-chromium catalyst.

Abstract: PURPOSE:To obtain the titled compound useful as an intermediate for pharmaceuticals, in high yield and purity, by catalytically reducing N-methyl-2(or 7)-homopiperazinone in the presence of a dioxane solvent using a specific catalyst and cooling the reaction system immediately after the completion of reduction. CONSTITUTION:N-methyl-2(or 7)-homopiperazinone is used as a raw material and subjected to catalytic reduction usually at 100-350 deg.C, preferably 150-300 deg.C under 5-500kg/cm , preferably 30-150kg/cm pressure in a dioxane solvent in the presence of a copper-chromium catalyst. Immediately after the completion of the reduction, the reaction system is cooled to obtain the objective compound. The cooling is carried out e.g. by using a continuous reduction reactor, by taking the reaction system out of a batch autoclave reactor in the form of vapor or liquid, etc., immediately after the reduction, etc. A commercially available low-cost copper-chromium catalyst can be used as it is as the above catalyst.