Dehydrogenation, deamination and disproportionation of diethylamine over heteropoly compounds

In a continuous flow system. transformation of diethylamine over heteropoly compounds was studied at 250 to 350 degrees C. It was found that ammonium molybdophosphate and tungstophosphate are the most active catalysts while copper molybdophosphate is the most stable one. 12-Molybdophosphoric acid and its salts were highly selective catalysts for dehydrogenation of diethylamine to ethyliden-ethylamine whereas 12-tungstophosphoric acid and its salts directed the reaction selectively to deamination. The role of Lewis acidity of metal cations, Bronsted acidity and basic sites in the reaction mechanism is discussed.