3-methylpyrrolidine-2,5-dione

Conditions: temp:0.00; pressure:0.00; stir:; See reaction.notes.procedure_details.

Procedure: In a 300 ml mini-autoclave, 75 ml of a 45% strength aqueous diammonium maleate solution and 75 ml of methanol were hydrogenated for 42 hours at 230° C. using 10 g of the powdered and activated catalyst described in Example 1. The product contained 89.1 mol % of N-methylpyrrolidone, 5.0 mol % of pyrrolidine and methylpyrrolidine, and 2.7 mol % of succinimide and methylsuccinimide.

Conditions: temp:0.00; pressure:0.00; stir:; See reaction.notes.procedure_details.

Procedure: In a 300 ml mini-autoclave, 75 ml of a 45% strength aqueous diammonium maleate solution and 75 ml of methanol were hydrogenated for 42 hours at 230° C. using 10 g of the powdered and activated catalyst described in Example 1. The product contained 89.1 mol % of N-methylpyrrolidone, 5.0 mol % of pyrrolidine and methylpyrrolidine, and 2.7 mol % of succinimide and methylsuccinimide.