Appeal No. 2001-0421
Application 08/926,835
Claim 1 is illustrative of the subject matter on appeal and
is reproduced below:
1. A process for the hydrogenation of an imine with
hydrogen under elevated pressure in the presence of an iridium
catalyst and with or without an inert solvent, wherein the
reaction mixture contains an ammonium chloride, bromide or
iodide, or a metal chloride, bromide or iodide that is soluble in
the reaction mixture, and additionally contains an acid.
The references relied on by the examiner are:
Blackborow et al. (Blackborow) 5,103,061 Apr. 7, 1992
Osborn et al. (Osborn) 5,112,999 May 12, 1992
Petit et al. (Petit) 5,210,202 May 11, 1993
Burk 5,426,223 Jun. 20, 1995
Chao et al. “Enantioselective Synthesis of Optically Action
Metolachlor via Asymmetric Reduction.” Tetrahedron Asymmetry,
vol 3, no. 3, pp 337-340, 1992.
GROUNDS OF REJECTION
1. Claims 1-35 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 102(b) as
anticipated by Osborn.
2. Claims 1-37 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103(a) as
unpatentable over the combined teachings of Osborn, Burk, Petit,
Blackborow and Chao.
We vacate the pending rejections and enter new grounds of
rejection pursuant 37 CFR § 1.196(b).
2
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