Some of these compounds can be formed by reacting ammonia, a primary or secondary amine with an olefinic unsaturated compound having sufficient reactivity to replace the amine hydrogen atom. This is known in the art as a Michael’s reaction. Further, the olefinic compound must have pendent acid functionality or functionality which can be subsequently converted to the acid and then to the amine salt. Other
amine salts of amino acids can be formed generally by first reacting primary or secondary amines with formaldehyde and HCN to form a nitrile. The nitrile can then be converted to the acid, which then can be connected to the amine salt. The catalysts can be formed by reacting the amines with a halogenated organic acid, e.g.haloalkyl or haloaryl acid, and then converting the acid to the amine salt.