Effect of Alkali Metal Nitrates on the Ru/C-catalyzed Ring Hydrogenation of m-Xylylenediamine to 1,3-Cyclohexanebis(methylamine)

Ru/C-catalyzed hydrogenation of m-xylylene diamine into 1,3-cyclohexanebis(methylamine) was greatly accelerated by the presence of $LiNO_3$, $NaNO_2$, or $NaNO_3$. It was found that the effect of the nitrate salt was significantly affected by the size of cation. The promoting effect of the nitrate salt increased with the decrease of the cation size: $LiNO_3$ ~ $NaNO_2$ > $KNO_3$ > $CsNO_3$ >> [1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium]$NO_3$. XRD analysis of the recovered catalysts after the hydrogenation reactions showed that $LiNO_3$ and $NaNO_2$ were completely transformed into LiOH and NaOH, respectively, along with the evolution of $NH_3$, while $KNO_3$ and $CsNO_3$ remained unchanged.