Dicyclohexylamine is a secondary amine with the chemical formula HN(C6H11)2. It is a colorless liquid, although commercial samples can appear yellow. It has a fishy odor, typical for amines. It is sparingly soluble in water. As an amine, it is an organic base and useful precursor to other chemicals.Karsten Eller, Erhard Henkes, Roland Rossbacher, Hartmut Höke "Amines, Aliphatic". In Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, 2000, Wiley-VCH, Weinheim.
Synthesis Dicyclohexylamine, as a mixture with cyclohexylamine, is prepared by the catalytic hydrogenation of aniline (phenylamine), with a catalyst of ruthenium and/or palladium. This method produces mainly cyclohexylamine with little dicyclohexylamine. Better results have been reported when the catalyst is applied to a support of niobic acid and/or tantalic acid.U.S. Patent 5322965, "Process for the preparation of a mixture of cyclohexylamine and dicyclohexylamine using a supported noble metal catalyst", Bayer AG, 21 June 1994 It is also obtained by reductive amination of cyclohexanone with ammonia or cyclohexylamine.
Dicyclohexylamine may also be prepared by pressure hydrogenation of diphenylamine using a ruthenium catalyst, or by the reaction of cyclohexanone with cyclohexylamine in the presence of a palladium/carbon catalyst under a hydrogen pressure of about 4 mm Hg.
Applications Dicyclohexylamine has applications that are similar to those of cyclohexylamine, namely the production of: antioxidants in rubber and plastics vulcanization accelerators for rubber corrosion inhibitors in steam pipes and boilers agrochemicals textile chemicals catalysts for flexible polyurethane foams
References
External links Dicyclohexylamine