Manufacture of glycinonitriles

Claim 1

A process for the manufacture of a glycinonitrile of the formula ##STR6## wherein: R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 may be identical or different unsubstituted radicals and each is alkyl of 1 to 20 carbon atoms, alkenyl of 2 to 20 carbon atoms, cycloalkyl of 5 to 8 carbon atoms or aralkyl of 7 to 12 carbon atoms; R 3 and R 4 may also each be phenyl or naphthyl; R 2 or R 4 may in addition each be hydrogen; R 1 and R 2 together with the adjacent nitrogen may also represent a 5-membered or 6-membered heterocyclic radical which may contain a further nitrogen or oxygen atom in the ring; R 3 and R 4 each may also simultaneously be hydrogen, provided that R 1 and R 2 each is a cylcoalkyl or an aralkyl radical or R 1 and R 2 together with the adjacent nitrogen represent a heterocyclic radical; and wherein each of the above radicals may in addition be substituted by alkyl or alkoxy, each of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, or by hydroxyl, nitro or cyano, which process comprises: reacting an amine of the formula ##STR7## where R 1 and R 2 have the above meaning, with a carbonyl compound of the formula ##STR8## where R 3 and R 4 have above meaning, and with hydrogen cyanide in the presence of water for from 0.1 to 4 hours at from 0 to 80° C, the concentration of hydrogen cyanide during the reaction not exceeding 0.1 percent by weight, based on the reaction mixture.