| abstract |
The invention concerns a method for producing: a) nitriles of formula (II) and; b) isonitriles of formula (III) by reacting: a) carboxylic acid amides (RCO-NH2), ammonium salts of carboxylic acids (RCOO-NH4+) or carboxylic acids in the presence of ammonia or ammonium salts (RCOOH +NH3, RCOOH + NH4+) or; b) formamides (H-CO-NHR) or mixtures of amines with formic acid, with cyclic phosphonic acid anhydrides while eliminating water at a temperature ranging from -30 to +120 °C, in which R represents an arbitrarily substituted linear or branched C1-C8 alkyl radical, a C3-C10 cycloalkyl radical, alkenyl radical, alkynyl radical or an aryl radical or heteroaryl radical. As a cyclic phosphonic acid anhydride, a 2,4,6,-substituted 1,3,5,2,4,6-trioxatriphosphinane-2,4,6-trioxide of formula (I) is used, in which: x = 3, 4 or 5; R', independent of one another, represents open-chain or branched, saturated or unsaturated, straight-chain C1 to C16 alkyl radicals or cyclic C3 to C16 alkyl radicals or aryl or heteroaryl. |