Patent ID: 6359162
Filing Date: 2002-03-19
Classification: C07F

Abstract:
A process for preparing compounds of the formula I in which R* is hydrogen or (C1-C4)-alkyl, or salts thereof with acids or bases, which comprisesa) (Step 1) reacting a trivalent methylphosphorus compound of the formula (II) with an unsaturated derivative of the formula (III), in the presence of a condensing agent or activator selected from substances which promote or catalyze the addition of the phosphorous component to the &agr;, &bgr;-unsaturated keto compound and, if appropriate, alcohols, to give an adduct (IV), Step 1: â€ƒwhere in the formulae R1 and R2 independently of one another are (C1-C18)alkoxy with or without substitution, benzyloxy or phenoxy, which may also be substituted, or one of the radicals R1 and R2 is hydroxyl, and R* is as defined in formula (I), b) (Step 2) the adduct (IV) is, if appropriate after hydrolysis to aldehydes (R*=H) or ketones (R*=alkyl) of the formula (IVâ€²), or to a salt thereof â€ƒin which Z is OH, R1 or R2, reacted under the conditions of a Strecker synthesis with ammonia/ammonium chloride and sodium cyanide or alternatively with mixtures of ammonia and hydrocyanic acid or with ammonia and a salt of hydrocyanic acid, if appropriate in the presence of ammonium chloride, to give the a-aminonitriles of the formula (V) or a salt thereof, Step 2: â€ƒwhere in the formulae (IVâ€²) and (V) the radical R* is as defined in formula (I) and Z is as defined in formula (IVâ€²) or is OH, and c) (Step 3) the compound of the formula (V) is hydrolyzed under acidic or basic conditions to give the compound of the formula (I) or salts thereof.