Catalytic hydroamination of furfuryl and tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohols with nitriles

Reaction of furfuryl and tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohols with nitriles over copper oxide catalysts under a hydrogen pressure of 15 atm at a temperature of 230C gives N-alkylfurfuryl- (yield 46–50%) and N-alkyl-tetrahydrofurfurylamines (49–53%), and N-alkylpiperidines (28–41%). A reaction mechanism is proposed.Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 1, pp. 23–26, January, 1988.