Patent ID: 6891068

Claim:
A method of preparing a β-substituted sulfide of the formula comprising reacting a β-halosulfide of the formula with a nucleophile of the formula RR′NH in water, wherein X is halogen; R, R′, R 1 , and R 2 independently are hydrogen or R, R′, R 1 , R 2 and R 3 independently are lower alkyl optionally substituted with one, two or three groups independently selected from halogen, lower alkoxy, —C(O)-alkyl, aryl, —C(O)NH-alkyl, C(O)N-dialkyl, —C(O)O-alkyl, —SO 2 NR 4 R 5 , cyano, alkenyl or alkynyl, or aryl, arylalkyl, heteroaryl or heteroarylalkyl wherein the ring portion of each is optionally substituted with one, two or three groups independently selected from halogen, lower alkyl, lower alkoxy, —C(O)-alkyl, —C(O)NH-alkyl, C(O)N-dialkyl, —C(O)O-alkyl, —SO 2 NR 4 R 5 , cyano, alkenyl or alkynyl; or R 1 and R 2 together with the carbon atom to which they are attached form a 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7 membered carbocyclic ring up to two of which members are optionally hetero atoms selected from oxygen, sulfur and nitrogen, where the carbocyclic group is optionally substituted with one or two groups independently selected from halogen, lower alkoxy, —C(O)-alkyl, —C(O)NH-alkyl, C(O)N-dialkyl, —C(O)O-alkyl, —SO 2 NR 4 R 5 , cyano, alkenyl or alkynyl; and R 4 and R 5 independently are hydrogen or lower alkyl.