Process for the preparation of tertiary amines

Claim 1

A process for the preparation of tertiary amines of the general formual wherein Alk is a lower alkylene radical containing 2 to 6 carbon atoms; R is selected from the group consisting of lower alkyl containing 1 to 6 carbon atoms, phenyl, halophenyl, tolyl and pyridyl; R' is selected from the group consisting of lower alkyl containing 1 to 6 carbon atoms, phenyl, halophenyl, tolyl, pyridyl, cyano, and hydrogen; R" is selected from the group consisting of lower alkyl containing 1 to 6 carbon atoms, phenyl, halophenyl, tolyl, pyridyl and hydrogen; or R' and R" may together be a doubly bonded oxygen atom or both are alkoxy groups containing 1 to 6 carbon atoms or together are an ethylenedioxy or propylenedioxy group; and ##STR19## is a cyclic secondary amine radical; which comprises contacting a cyclic secondary amine of the formula ##STR20## wherein ##STR21## is defined as hereinabove with a primary alkyl halide of the formula ##STR22## wherein X is a bromo, chloro or iodo atom; R' is selected from the group consisting of lower alkyl containing 1 to 6 carbon atoms, phenyl, halophenyl, tolyl, pyridyl, cyano, hydrogen; R" is selected from the group consisting of lower alkyl containing 1 to 6 carbon atoms, phenyl, halophenyl, tolyl, pyridyl and hydrogen; or R' and R" are both alkoxy groups containing 1 to 6 carbon atoms or together are a ethylenedioxy or propylenedioxy group; and Alk, and R are defined as hereinabove in a two phase aqueous medium in the presence of an inorganic base acid acceptor, optionally followed by hydrolysis of a ketal to afford the corresponding ketone.