Patent ID: 7511149

Claim:
A process for the preparation of insecticidal sulfoximines (Ia), wherein Het represents: X represents halogen, C 1 -C 4 alkyl, C 1 -C 4 haloalkyl, C 2 -C 4 alkenyl, C 2 -C 4 alkynyl, C 2 -C 4 haloalkenyl, C 1 -C 4 alkoxy, C 1 -C 4 haloalkoxy, CN, NO 2 , SO m R 6 where m is an integer from 0-2, COOR 4 or CONR 4 R 5 ; Y represents hydrogen, halogen, C 1 -C 4 alkyl, C 1 -C 4 haloalkyl, C 2 -C 4 alkenyl, C 2 -C 4 alkynyl, C 2 -C 4 haloalkenyl, C 1 -C 4 alkoxy, C 1 -C 4 haloalkoxy, CN, NO 2 , SO m R 1 where m is an integer from 0-2, COOR 4 , CONR 4 R 5 , aryl or heteroaryl; n is an integer from 0-3; L represents either a single bond, â€”CH(CH 2 ) p â€” where R 1 , S and L taken together represent a 4-, 5-, or 6-membered ring and p is an integer from 1-3, â€”CH(CH 2 OCH 2 )â€” where R 1 , S and L taken together represent a 6-membered ring, or â€”CHâ€” where L, R 2 and the common carbon to which they connect taken together represent a 4-, 5-, or 6-membered ring with up to, but no more than, 1 heteroatom; R 1 represents C 1 -C 4 alkyl, C 1 -C 4 haloalkyl, C 3 -C 6 alkenyl, C 3 -C 6 alkynyl, C 3 -C 6 haloalkenyl, arylalkyl, heteroarylalkyl, or â€”CH 2 â€” in cases where R 1 , S and L taken together represent a 4-, 5-, or 6-membered ring; R 2 and R 3 independently represent hydrogen, halogen, C 1 -C 4 alkyl, C 1 -C 4 haloalkyl, C 2 -C 4 alkenyl, C 2 -C 4 alkynyl, C 2 -C 4 haloalkenyl, C 1 -C 4 alkoxy, C 1 -C 4 haloalkoxy, CN, SO m R 6 where m is an integer from 0-2, COOR 4 , CONR 4 R 5 , arylalkyl, heteroarylalkyl, or R 2 and R 3 and the common carbon to which they attach form a 3-6 membered ring; R 4 and R 5 independently represent hydrogen, C 1 -C 4 alkyl, C 1 -C 4 haloalkyl; C 3 -C 6 alkenyl, C 3 -C 6 alkynyl, C 3 -C 6 haloakenyl, aryl, heteroaryl, arylalkyl or heteroarylalkyl; and R 6 represents C 1 -C 4 alkyl, C 1 -C 4 haloalkyl, C 3 -C 6 alkenyl, C 3 -C 6 alkynyl, C 3 -C 6 haloalkenyl, arylalkyl or heteroarylalkyl; which comprises oxidizing a sulfilimine of formula (I) wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , L, Het and n are as previously defined by contacting the sulfilimine in a suitable organic solvent that is essentially inert to the strong oxidizing conditions with an oxidizing agent comprising ruthenium tetraoxide or an alkali metal permanganate at a temperature from about âˆ’10 to about 45Â° C.