Patent ID: 7304157

Claim:
A process for preparing a compound of formula IIIa: comprising: (a) contacting a compound of formula I with a compound of formula II in the presence of a first base to form a compound of formula III; (b) contacting a compound of formula III with an R 1b -metal reagent to form a compound of formula IIIa; wherein: Z is selected from Cl, Br, I, OSO 2 CF 3 , OSO 2 Me, OSO 2 Ph, and OSO 2 Ph-p-Me; ring D is selected from phenyl, 2-fluorophenyl, 3-chlorophenyl, and 4-methoxyphenyl; R 1a is selected from CH 3 , CH 2 CH 3 , and CH 2 CH 2 CH 3 ; R 1b is C 1-6 alkyl; R is selected from Cl, Br, I, C 1-6 alkoxy, and NR 1 R 2 ; R 1 and R 2 are independently selected from C 1-6 alkyl, cyclopropyl, cyclobutyl, cyclopentyl, cyclohexyl, phenyl, and benzyl; alternatively, NR 1 R 2 is a 3-8 membered ring consisting of: carbon atoms, N, and 0-1 O atoms; ring A is substituted with 0-1 R 4 in addition to B; B is selected from F, Cl, Br, I, OSO 2 CF 3 , OSO 2 Ph-p-Me, and 2-oxo-pyridyl; and R 4 is selected from H, OH, OCH 3 , OCH 2 CH 3 , OCH 2 CH 2 CH 3 , OCH(CH 3 ) 2 , F, Cl, Br, I, CH 3 , CH 2 CH 3 , CH 2 CH 2 CH 3 , CH(CH 3 ) 2 , CH 2 CH 2 CH 2 CH 3 , CH 2 CH(CH 3 ) 2 , CH(CH 3 )CH 2 CH 3 , CH(CH 3 ) 3 , —CN, and CF 3 .