A method and intermediates for the preparation of 6-fluorobenzisothiazoles

Abstract: A process for the preparation of 6-fluoro-1,2-benzisothiazoles of formula I where R is hydrogen, loweralkyl, cycloalkyl, aralkyl, aryl, or a group of the formulae -CO₂R₂, -CN or -C(=O)R;₂ R₂ is alkyl or aryl; k, m, m * , n and n * are independently integers from 1 to 4; which comprises a) reacting a compound of the formula III wherein R is as defined above and R₃ is hydrogen, loweralkyl, or arylloweralkyl, with a halogenating agent to obtain a compound of the formula IV wherein R is as defined and Hal is halogen, and b) reacting the compound of formula IV as obtained in step a) with ammonia.

Description: This invention relates to a process for the preparation of 6-fluoro-1,2-benzisothiazoles of the formula where R is hydrogen, (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl, cyclo(C 3 -C 7 )alkyl, ar(C 1 -C 6 )alkyl,aryl, where the term "aryl" means a phenyl group optionally substituted with 1, 2 or 3 substituents selected from: (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl,(C 1 -C 6 )alkoxy, halogen, hydroxy, trifluoromethyl, phenoxy and benzyloxy, or R is a nitrogen-containing heterocycloalkyl of the formula or bicycloheteroalkyl of the formula wherein R 1 is -CHO, -CO 2 R 2 , -CN or -C(=O)R 2 ; R 2 is (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl or aryl, where "aryl" is as defined above; k, m, m*, n and n* are independently integers from 1 to 4; which process comprises reacting an o -halophenacyl compound of the formula wherein R is as defined above, with R 3 SH to obtain a sulfide compound of the formula wherein R 3 is hydrogen, (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl or aryl(C 1 -C 6 )alkyl, where "aryl" is as defined above; reacting the sulfide compound of Formula III with a halogenating agent to obtain the corresponding sulfenyl halide of the formula and reacting the sulfenyl halide with ammonia to obtain a compound of the formula The resulting 1,2-benzisothiazoles (I) are useful as intermediates in the preparation of pharmaceutically active compounds, which are useful, for example, as antipsychotic agents and as inhibitors of the re-uptake of serotonin. Additionally, this invention relates to compounds of the formula where R and R 3 are as previously defined, with the proviso that R is not hydrogen when R 3 is (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl or aryl(C 1 -C 6 )alkyl, which are useful as intermediates for the preparation of compounds of Formula IV. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, R is hydrogen, (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl, k, m, m*, n and n* are independently integers from 1 to 4; R 1 is -CHO, -CO 2 R 2 , -CN or R 2 is (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl or aryl, where "aryl" is as defined above; and R 3 is benzyl. More preferably, R is Most preferably, R is 4-piperidinyl or azabicyclo[3.2.1]octan-3-yl, R 1 is -CHO or -CN, and R 3 is benzyl. Unless otherwise stated or indicated, the term (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl means a straight or branched alkyl group having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms. Examples of alkyl include methyl, ethyl, n -propyl, iso -butyl, pentyl, and hexyl. Unless otherwise stated or indicated, the term cyclo(C 3 -C 7 )alkyl means a saturated ring containing 3 to 7 carbon atoms. Examples of cycloalkyl include cyclopropyl, cyclohexyl and cycloheptyl. Unless otherwise stated or indicated, the term halogen means fluorine, chlorine, bromine or iodine. Unless otherwise stated or indicated, the term aryl means an unsubstituted phenyl group or a phenyl group substituted with 1, 2 or 3 substituents each of which being independently (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl, (C 1 -C 6 )alkoxy, halogen, hydroxy, trifluoromethyl, phenoxy or benzyloxy. It is known to prepare 1,2-benzisothiazoles starting from o-halophenacyl compounds. One example is the treatment of o -halophenacyl compounds with molecular sulfur and ammonia in an autoclave at high temperatures. However, it has not been possible to use such process to obtain 6-fluoro-1,2-benzisothiazoles in good yield. The process of this invention provides an efficient means of preparing 6-fluoro-1,2-benzisothiazoles from o-halophenacyl compounds in good yield and without the need for nigh temperatures and autoclave conditions. In the reaction to form compound III, it has been found that the displacement by the R 3 SH nucleophile advantageously occurs selectively at the fluorine atom adjacent to the carbonyl functionality on the phenyl ring. The reaction is typically carried out in an organic solvent, for example, tetrahydrofuran, in the presence of base such as potassium t -butoxide at a temperature of from about 0°C to about 150°C, preferably from about 10°C to about 100°C, most preferably from about 15°C to about 80°C. Preferred R 3 SH compounds include hydrogen sulfide, (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl mercaptans and benzyl mercaptans. Most preferred is benzyl mercaptan. Compound III is reacted with a halogenating agent such as sulfuryl chloride, sulfuryl bromide, bromine or chlorine, most preferably with sulfuryl chloride, to obtain the sulfenyl halide IV. The reaction is generally carried out in an organic solvent such as dichloroethane or dichloromethane at a temperature of from about 0°C to about 100°C, preferably from about 15°C to about 80°C. The resulting compound IV is then generally isolated and, without further purification, reacted with ammonia to obtain the desired benzisothiazole. The reaction is generally carried out in an organic solvent such as tetrahydrofuran at from about 0° C to about 100°C, preferably at from about 15°C to about 80°C, most preferably at about ambient temperature. The starting difluoroketones wherein R is hydrogen, (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl, cyclo(C 3 -C 7 )alkyl, ar(C 1 -C 6 )alkyl or aryl, where aryl is as defined, are prepared according to procedures known in the art. The starting difluoroketones wherein R is heterocyclo(C 3 -C 7 )alkyl such as piperidinyl are prepared for example by a Friedel-Crafts acylation of 1,3-difluorobenzene using the appropriate acid halide as is known in the art. The starting difluoroketones wherein R is bicycloheteroalkyl such as tropanyl are prepared from 2,4-difluorobenzaldehyde dialkyl acetal which is reacted with a phosphorylating agent such as triethyl phosphite and with boron trifluoride etherate in a suitable solvent such as dichloromethane to afford Compound V of the formula wherein R 4 is (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl. This reaction typically takes place at a temperature of -25°C to room temperature for 10 to 30 hours. Compound V is reacted with n -butyllithium or other suitable agents, such as lithium diisopropyl amide, and tropinone of the formula to afford Compound VI of the formula Typically, this reaction takes place in a suitable solvent such as tetrahydrofuran at a temperature of -78°C to room temperature for 10 to 30 hours. Compound VI is reacted with aqueous HCl in acetone at reflux for 2 to 8 hours to afford Compound VII Compound VII is converted to Compound II where R 1 is CN or CO 2 R 2, by means known in the art, for example, reaction with cyanogen bromide or a chloroformate in the presence of a base such as potassium carbonate yields Compound II wherein R 1 is CN or CO 2 R 2 respectively. The following examples are for illustration purposes only and are not to be construed as limiting the invention. All temperatures are given in degrees centigrade (°C) unless indicated otherwise. EXAMPLE 1 a. 4-Fluoro-2-(phenylmethylthio)benzaldehyde Bezyl mercaptan (1.74 g) in 10 mL of tetrahydrofuran (THF) was added dropwise to a solution of potassium t-butoxide (1.58 g) in 60 mL of THF. The resulting suspension was stirred at ambient temperature for 5 minutes, and then 2,4-difluorobenzaldehyde (2.0 g) was added and the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for one half hour. Saturated ammonium chloride solution was added, and the resulting mixture was extracted with ethyl acetate (EtOAc). The combined organic layers were washed with brine, dried over MgSO 4 , filtered and evaporated to leave 3.11 g of crude product. Crystallization from methanol provided a solid, m.p. 81-82°C. ANALYSIS: Calculated for C 14 H 11 FOS: 68.27%C 4.50%H Found: 68.31%C 4.37%H b. 6-Fluoro-1,2-benzisothiazole Sulfuryl chloride (1.04 g) was added dropwise to a suspension of 4-fluoro-2-(phenylmethylthio)benzaldehyde (2.0 g) in 23 mL of dichloromethane at room temperature. The resulting solution was stirred for one half hour. Then the solvent was removed in vacuo , and the residue was suspended in 10 mL of THF and treated at room temperature with 10 mL of ethanol (EtOH) saturated with ammonia (NH 3 ). The resultant mixture was stirred for one half hour, water was then added, and the product was extracted into EtOAc. The combined organic layers were washed with brine, dried over MgSO 4 , filtered and evaporated to leave 1.0 g of crude product. Purification by radially accelerated preparative thin layer chromatography (elution with ethyl acetate - hexanes) provided 0.66 g of a pale yellow liquid. EXAMPLE 2 a. 4-Fluoro-2(phenylmethylthio)acetophenone Benzyl mercaptan (1.59 g) in 10 mL of THF was added dropwise to a solution of potassium t -butoxide (1.4 g) in 55 mL of THF. The resulting suspension was stirred at ambient temperature for 5 minutes, and then 2,4-difluoroacetophenone (2.0 g) was added. The reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for one half hour, saturated ammonium chloride solution was added, and the resulting mixture was extracted with EtOAc. The combined organic layers were washed with brine, dried over MgSO 4 , filtered and evaporated to leave 3.2 g of crude product. Recrystallization from methanol gave 2.1 g (63%) of product as a solid, m.p. 111-112°C. ANALYSIS: Calculated for C 15 H 13 FOS: 69.21%C 5.03%H Found: 69.42%C 5.11%H b. 6-Fluoro-3-methyl-1,2-benzisothiazole Sulfuryl chloride (0.52 g) was added dropwise to a suspension of 4-fluoro-2-(phenylmethylthio)acetophenone (1.0 g) in 12 mL of dichloroethane at room temperature. The resulting solution was stirred for one half hour. Then the solvent was removed in vacuo , and the residue was suspended in 12 mL of THF and treated at room temperature with 12 mL of EtOH saturated with NH 3 . The resultant mixture was stirred for one half hour, water was then added, and the product was extracted into EtOAc. The combined organic layers were washed with brine, dried over MgSO 4 , filtered and evaporated to leave 0.6 g of crude product. Purification by radially accelerated preparative thin layer chromatography (elution with ethyl acetate - hexanes) provided 0.37 g (58%) of a pale yellow sold, m.p. 50-57°C. EXAMPLE 3 a. 4-[4-Fluoro-2-(phenylmethylthio)benzoyl]-1-piperidinecarboxaldehyde To a stirred solution of potassium t -butoxide (4.6 g) in THF (125 ml), was added, dropwise, benzyl mercaptan (5.1 g) in THF (60 ml). After stirring at ambient temperature for one half hour, 4-(2,4-difluorobenzoyl)-1-piperidinecarboxaldehyde (10.3 g) was added portionwise. The white flocculent solid that was present in the reaction went into solution, and stirring was continued at ambient temperature for two hours. The reaction was quenched into water, and the aqueous suspension extracted with EtOAc. The organic extract was washed (water), dried (MgSO 4 ), and the solvent was evaporated to afford 14.0 g of a viscous oil. The oil was combined with a sample from another run (14.7 g), and the combined sample triturated with EtO 2 to yield 20.4 g (63%) of a solid, m.p. 96-98°C. Recrystallization from toluene-hexane afforded an off-white solid, m.p. 101-103°C. ANALYSIS: Calculated for C 20 H 20 FNO 2 S: 67.20%C 5.64%H 3.92%N Found: 67.42%C 5.96%H 3.90%N b. 4-(6-Fluoro-1,2-benzisothiazol-3-yl)-1-piperidinecarboxaldehyde To a stirred solution of 4-[4-fluoro-2-(phenylmethylthio)]-1-piperidinecarboxaldehyde (40.0 g) in methylene chloride (CH 2 Cl 2 ) (400 ml) was added, dropwise, sulfuryl chloride (8.9 ml) in CH 2 Cl 2 (28 ml). After complete addition, the reaction was stirred at ambient temperature for one hour. The reaction was filtered to remove a small amount of insoluble material, and was then evaporated to afford 40.7 g of the sulfenyl chloride as a thick oil, which solidified upon standing. This crude sulfenyl chloride was dissolved in THF (500 ml) and a saturated solution of NH 3 in EtOH (180 ml) was added dropwise. The reaction was stirred at ambient temperature for two hours, and allowed to stand at ambient temperature for sixteen hours. The reaction mixture was poured into water, and the aqueous suspension was extracted with EtOAc. The organic extract was washed (water), dried (MgSO 4 ) and the solvent was evaporated to afford 29.6 g of a thick oil which was chromatographed on a preparative HPLC on silica gel columns, eluting with 3% Et 2 NH-EtOAc to yield 12.2 g (42%) of compound as an oil. Trituration with isopropyl ether and scratching afforded a solid which was recrystailized from EtOAc-hexane to afford a solid, m.p. 104-106°C. ANALYSIS: Calculated for C 13 H 13 FN 2 OS: 59.07%C 4.96%H 10.60%N Found: 59.17%C 5.07%H 10.48%N EXAMPLE 4 a. Diethyl-1-(2,4-difluorophenyl)-1-methoxymethane phosphonate Boron trifluoride etherate (86 g) was added dropwise to a solution of 2,4-difluorobenzaldehyde dimethyl acetal (114 g) and triethylphosphite (101 g) in 1.2 L of CH 2 Cl 2 at -25°C. The resulting solution was allowed to warm to room temperature and stirred for twenty hours. Water was added, and the mixture was stirred vigorously for ten minutes. The organic layer was separated, washed with brine, dried over MgSO 4 , filtered and concentrated to leave a liquid. Purification by HPLC on silica gel (elution with CH 2 Cl 2 , followed by 5% EtOAc-CH 2 Cl 2 ) provided 136 g of diethyl-1-(2,4-difluorophenyl)-1-methoxymethane phosphonate, as a liquid. b. (2,4-Difluorophenyl)(8-methyl-8-azabicyclo[3.2.1]octan-3-yl)methanone hydrochloride Diethyl-1-(2,4-difluorophenyl))-1-methoxymethane phosphonate (76 g) was dissolved in THF (1600 mL). The solution was cooled to -78°C and n -butyl lithium (103.4 mL of a 2.5 M solution in hexanes) was added dropwise at a rate such that the temperature never rose above -65°C. The resulting solution was stirred for one hour. Tropinone (32.7 g) dissolved in THF (100 mL) was then added slowly dropwise to the reaction mixture. After complete addition, the mixture was allowed to warm slowly to room temperature and was stirred overnight. A saturated NaCl solution (1.5 L) was added to the reaction mixture. The layers were separated and the organic layer was collected and dried over MgSO 4 . The solvent was evaporated to yield an oil (73 g). This oil (38 g) was dissolved in acetone (2 L). Water (35 mL) and concentrated HCl (182 mL) were added slowly and the mixture was refluxed for three hours. The acetone was evaporated and the aqueous residue which remained was extracted with EtOAc, basified with K 2 CO 3 , extracted with CH 2 Cl 2 , and dried over MgSO 4 . Evaporation of the solvent yielded 31.3 g of an oil which solidified. A portion of this solid (3 g) was dissolved in EtOH (75 mL). Ethanolic HCl was added until the solution was acidic. Ethyl ether (75 mL) was added and the product salt (2.65 g, m.p. 224-225°C) precipitated from solution. ANALYSIS: Calculated for C 15 H 18 ClF 2 NO: 59.70%C 6.01%H 4.64%N Found: 59.52%C 5.87%H 4.55%N c. 3-(2,4-Difluorobenzoyl)-8-azabicyclo[3.2.1]octane-8-carbonitrile Cyanogen bromide (4.0 g) was added in one portion to a suspension of (2,4-difluorophenyl)(8-methyl-8-azabicyclo[3.2.1]octan-3-yl)methanone (5.0 g) and potassium carbonate (5.2 g) in 80 mL of dimethylformamide at room temperature. The mixture was stirred for two hours, and then it was diluted with water and EtOAc. The layers were separated, and the aqueous phase was extracted with EtOAc. The combined organic layers were washed with water and brine, dried over MgSO 4 , filtered and concentrated to leave 3.5 g of a solid which was recrystallized from EtOAc-heptane, m.p. 162-164°C. ANALYSIS: Calculated for C 15 H 14 F 2 N 2 O: 65.21%C 5.11%H 10.14%N Found: 65.16%C 5.10%H 10.08%N d. 3-[4-Fluoro-2-(phenylmethylthio)benzoyl]-8-azabicyclo[3.2.1]octane-8-carbonitrile Benzyl mercaptan (0.67 g) in 5 mL of THF was added dropwise to a solution of potassium t -butoxide (0.6 g) in 15 mL of THF. The resulting suspension was stirred at ambient temperature for five minutes, and then (2,4-difluorobenzoyl)-8-azabicyclo[3.2.1]octane-8-carbonitrile (1.5 g) was added. The reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for one half hour, then saturated ammonium chloride solution was added, and the product was extracted into EtOAc. The combined organic layers were washed with brine, dried over MgSO 4 , filtered and concentrated to leave 1.7 g of crude product. Recrystallization from methanol gave 0.87 g of product as a solid, m.p. 166-167°C. ANALYSIS: Calculated for C 22 H 21 FN 2 OS: 69.45%C 5.56%H 7.36%N Found: 69.37%C 5.69%H 7.15%N e. 3-(6-Fluoro-1,2-benzisothiazol-3-yl)-8-azabicyclo-[3.2.1]octane-8-carbonitrile Sulfuryl chloride (5.33 g) was added dropwise to a suspension of 3-[4-fluoro-2-(phenylmethylthio)benzoyl]-8-azabicylo-[3.2.1]octane-8-carbonitrile (15 g) in 160 mL of dichloroethane at room temperature. The resulting solution was stirred for one and a quarter hours, and then the solvent was removed in vacuo , and the residue was suspended in 160 mL of THF and treated at room temperature with 160 mL of ethanol saturated with ammonia. The resultant mixture was stirred for 1.5 hours, and then the solvent was removed in vacuo and the residue was partitioned between water and CH 2 Cl 2 . The combined organic layers were washed with brine, dried over MgSO 4 , filtered and evaporated to leave 10.7 g of a solid which was filtered through silica gel (elution with CH 2 Cl 2 ). The solid obtained from evaporation of the filtrate (6.82 g) was recrystallized from EtOAc, providing 4.1 g of a white solid, m.p. 193-195°C. ANALYSIS: Calculated for C 15 H 14 FN 3 S: 62.70%C 4.91%H 14.62%N Found: 62.63%C 4.90%H 14.73%N It is to be understood that changes and variations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims: Claims for the following Contracting States : AT, BE, CH, DE, DK, FR, GB, GR, IE, IT, LI, LU, MC, NL, PT, SE A process for the preparation of 6-fluoro-1,2-benzisothiazoles of formula I where R is hydrogen, (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl, cyclo(C 3 -C 7 )alkyl, ar(C 1 -C 6 )alkyl, aryl, where the term "aryl" means a phenyl group optionally substituted with 1, 2 or 3 substituents selected from: (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl, (C 1 -C 6 )alkoxy, halogen, hydroxy, trifluoromethyl, phenoxy and benzyloxy, or R is a group of the formulae wherein R 1 is -CHO, -CO 2 R 2 , -CN or -C(=O)R 2; R 2 is (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl or aryl, where "aryl" is as defined above; k, m, m*, n and n* are independently integers from 1 to 4; which comprises a) reacting a compound of the formula III wherein R is as defined above and R 3 is hydrogen, (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl, or aryl(C 1 -C 6 )alkyl, where "aryl" is as defined above, with a halogenating agent to obtain a compound of the formula IV and wherein R is as defined and Hal is halogen, and b) reacting the compound of formula IV as obtained in step a) with ammonia. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein R is hydrogen, (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl or a group of the formulae where k, m, m*, n, n*, R 1 and R 2 are as defined in claim 1 and R 3 is benzyl. A process as claimed in claim 2, wherein R is a group of the formulae where k, m, m*, n, n*, R 1 and R 2 are as defined. A process as claimed in claim 3, wherein n and n* are both the integer 2, m and m* are both the integer 1, k is the integer 2, and R 1 is -CHO or -CN. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the compound of formula III is reacted with sulfuryl chloride, sulfuryl bromide, bromine or chlorine as the halogenating agent at a temperature of from 0°C to 100°C. The process as claimed in claim 5, wherein the halogenating agent is sulfuryl chloride and the reaction temperature is from 15°C to 80°C. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the compound of formula IV is reacted with ammonia at a temperature of from 0°C to 100°C. The process as claimed in claim 7, wherein the reaction temperature is from 15°C to 80°C. The process as claimed in claim 8, wherein the reaction temperature is ambient temperature. A compound of the formula III wherein R is hydrogen, (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl, cyclo(C 3 -C 7 )alkyl, ar(C 1 -C 6 )alkyl, aryl where the term "aryl" means a phenyl group optionally substituted with 1, 2 or 3 substituents selected from: (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl, (C 1 -C 6 )alkoxy, halogen, hydroxy, trifluoromethyl, phenoxy and benzyloxy, or R is a group of the formulae wherein R 1 is -CHO, -CO 2 R 2 , -CN or -C(=O)-R 2 , where R 2 is (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl or aryl, where "aryl" is as defined above k, m, m*, n and n* are independently integers from 1 to 4 and R 3 is hydrogen, (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl or aryl(C 1 -C 6 )alkyl, where "aryl" is as defined above, with the proviso that R is not hydrogen when R 3 is (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl or aryl(C 1 -C 6 )alkyl. A compound as claimed in claim 10, wherein R is hydrogen, (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl or a group of the formulae and R 3 is benzyl. A compound as claimed in claim 11, wherein n and n* are both the integer 2, m and m* are both the integer 1, k is the integer 2 and R 1 is -CHO or -CN. A process for the preparation of a compound as defined in claim 10, which comprises reacting a 2,4-difluorophenacyl compound of formula II wherein R is as defined, with R 3 SH, wherein R 3 is as defined, with the proviso that R is not hydrogen, when R 3 is (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl or aryl(C 1 -C 6 )alkyl. Claims for the following Contracting State : ES A process for the preparation of 6-fluoro-1,2-benzisothiazoles of formula I where R is hydrogen, (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl, cyclo(C 3 -C 7 )alkyl, ar(C 1 -C 6 )alkyl, aryl, where the term "aryl" means a phenyl group optionally substituted with 1, 2 or 3 substituents selected from: (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl, (C 1 -C 6 )alkoxy, halogen, hydroxy, trifluoromethyl, phenoxy and benzyloxy, or R is a group of the formulae wherein R 1 is -CHO, -CO 2 R 2 , -CN or -C(=O)R 2 ; R 2 is (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl or aryl, where "aryl" is as defined above; k, m, m*, n and n* are independently integers from 1 to 4; which comprises a) reacting a compound of the formula III wherein R is as defined above and R 3 is hydrogen, (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl, or aryl(C 1 -C 6 )alkyl, where "aryl" is as defined above, with a halogenating agent to obtain a compound of the formula IV and wherein R is as defined and Hal is halogen, and b) reacting the compound of formula IV as obtained in step a) with ammonia. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein R is hydrogen, (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl or a group of the formulae where k, m, m*, n, n*, R 1 and R 2 are as defined in claim 1 and R 3 is benzyl. A process as claimed in claim 2, wherein R is a group of the formulae where k, m, m*, n, n*, R 1 and R 2 are as defined. A process as claimed in claim 3, wherein n and n* are both the integer 2, m and m* are both the integer 1, k is the integer 2, and R 1 is -CHO or -CN. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the compound of formula III is reacted with sulfuryl chloride, sulfuryl bromide, bromine or chlorine as the halogenating agent at a temperature of from 0°C to 100°C. The process as claimed in claim 5, wherein the halogenating agent is sulfuryl chloride and the reaction temperature is from 15°C to 80°C. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the compound of formula IV is reacted with ammonia at a temperature of from 0°C to 100°C. The process as claimed in claim 7, wherein the reaction temperature is from 15°C to 80°C. The process as claimed in claim 8, wherein the reaction temperature is ambient temperature. A process for the preparation of a compound of the formula III wherein R is hydrogen, (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl, cyclo(C 3 -C 7 )alkyl, ar(C 1 -C 6 )alkyl, aryl, where the term "aryl" means a phenyl group optionally substituted with 1, 2 or 3 substituents selected from: (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl, (C 1 -C 6 )alkoxy, halogen, hydroxy, trifluoromethyl, phenoxy and benzyloxy, or R is a group of the formulae: wherein R 1 is -CHO, -CO 2 R 2 , -CN or -C(=O)-R 2 , where R 2 is (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl or aryl, where "aryl" is as defined above, k, m, m*, n and n* are independently integers from 1 to 4 and R 3 is hydrogen, (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl or aryl(C 1 -C 6 )alkyl, where "aryl" is as defined, which comprises reacting a 2,4-difluorophenacyl compound of the formula II wherein R is as defined, with R 3 SH, wherein R 3 is as defined, with the proviso that R is not hydrogen when R 3 is (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl or aryl(C 1 -C 6 )alkyl. A process as claimed in claim 10, wherein R is hydrogen, (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl or a group of the formulae and R 3 is benzyl. A process as claimed in claim 11, wherein n and n* are both the integer 2, m and m* are both the integer 1, k is the integer 2 and R 1 is -CHO or -CN.

Inventors: FINK DAVID M, STRUPCZEWSKI JOSEPH T, FINK, DAVID M., STRUPCZEWSKI, JOSEPH T.
Applicants: HOECHST MARION ROUSSEL INC, HOECHST MARION ROUSSEL, INC.
Application year: 1992
Main classification: C07D275
IPC codes: C07D211, C07C323, C07D471, C07D417, A61K31, C07D487, C07D451, C07D275, C07C319