Appeal No. 2000-2179
Application No. 09/235,242
prior to removing or neutralizing the cyanoethylation alkaline
catalyst. In support of this position, the appellants refer to
the Brunson reference, which states in relevant part (page 90):
The cyanoethylation of alcohols is an equilibrium
reaction. The position of the equilibrium is more
favorable to the addition product with primary than
with secondary alcohols. Thus, 2-propanol gives a
lower yield (69%) of cyanoethylation product than
methanol, ethanol, or 1-butanol, which give 89%, 78%,
and 86% yields, respectively. Caution must be observed
in the isolation of the $-alkoxypropionitriles by
distillation, particularly those derived from secondary
alcohols or from primary alcohols with more than seven
carbon atoms. The alkaline catalyst must be destroyed
by acidification or neutralization since the products
are readily dissociated by heat in the presence of
alkalies into the original alcohol and a polymer of
acrylonitrile. [Footnotes omitted.]
The appellants also refer to Green and Sullivan for the same
proposition.
Although Brunson, Green, and Sullivan recognize the
importance of removing or neutralizing the cyanoethylation
alkaline catalyst in isolating $-alkoxypropionitriles, we
observe that O’Lenick teaches that it is desirable to directly
hydrogenate $-alkoxypropionitriles resulting from the
cyanoethylation without prior removal or neutralization of the
cyanoethylation alkaline catalyst. See O’Lenick in its entirety.
We find that O’Lenick exemplifies such a process in its Examples
1, 2, 10, and 11. See columns 4-6. We find that O’Lenick
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