A process for the production of (1) an ether or (2) a second amine comprises reacting an activated olefin with respectively an alcohol or first amine in the presence of a catalyst which is either (a) an amidine or (b) a Lewis base and epoxide. The same catalyst may also be used to carry out the reverse reaction in which an activated olefin and an alcohol or first amine are produced from the appropriate ether or second amine.
A process for the production of (1) an ether or (2) a second amine comprises reacting an activated olefin with respectively an alcohol or first amine in the presence of a catalyst which is either (a) an amidine or (b) a Lewis base and epoxide. The same catalyst may also be used to carry out the reverse reaction in which an activated olefin and an alcohol or first amine are produced from the appropriate ether or second amine.
A process for preparing .beta.-alkoxynitriles by reacting .alpha.,.beta.-unsaturated nitriles with monohydric, dihydric or trihydric alcohols in the presence of basic catalysts at from -20 to +200.degree. C. comprises using a diazabicycloalkene catalyst of the formula I ##STR1## where from 1 to 4 hydrogen atoms may be independently replaced by the radicals R.sup.1 to R.sup.4, in which case R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3, R.sup.4 are each C.sub.1-20 -alkyl, C.sub.6-20 -aryl or C.sub.7-20 -arylalkyl, and n and m are each an integer from 1 to 6.
New catalysts are made available for the production of polyurethane and polyepoxide resins being derivates of 2-azabicyclo[2.2.2]hept-5-enes and 2-azabicyclo[2.2.1]heptanes substituted in 2- and optionally in 3-position. Also provided is a process for preparing same by reacting cyclopentadiene with salts of strong acids of ammonia or of primary amines and aldehydes and, optionally, by subsequent catalytic hydrogenation of the reaction product.
