PURPOSE: To obtain the titled compound useful as a raw material and a synthetic intermediate of organic synthetic chemicals such as pharmaceuticals, agricultural chemicals, etc., in high yield, suppressing the production of by-products, by the hydration reaction of acrylonitrile in the presence of a tertiary amine catalyst and formamide.
CONSTITUTION: The objective β-hydroxypropionitrile is obtained by reacting acrylonitrile in an aqueous medium such as water, alcohol, etc. in the presence of formaldehyde or its oligomer (e.g. formalin, paraformaldehyde, etc.) at normal temperature W100°C, preferably 40W80°C, using a tertiary amine (e.g. triethylamine, triethanolamine, etc.) as a catalyst. The amount of the catalyst is 0.01W 0.5mol and that of formaldehyde is 0.5W20mol, preferably 1W10mol per 1mol of acrylonitrile.
TAKAYANAGI YASUYUKI
HARA YUKINOBU
