The hydrodenitrogenation of 2-methylpiperidine and 2-methylpyrrolidine was studied over sulfided NiMo/γ-Al2O3 in the presence of dialkylamines, alkylamines, and alkenes to determine why N-pentylpiperidine is formed in the hydrodenitrogenation of pyridine. N-alkylated 2-methylpiperidine and 2-methylpyrrolidine were only formed as primary products by reaction with alkylamines and not by reaction with 2-methylpiperidine and 2-methylpyrrolidine, or by reaction with an alkene. This indicates that, in the hydrodenitrogenation of pyridine, N-pentylpiperidine is formed by the reaction of the secondary intermediate pentylamine with the primary intermediate piperidine, and not by reaction of two primary piperidine intermediates or by reaction of pentene, one of the final products, with piperidin
