Patent ID: 7094931

Claim:
A process for the preparation of acylphosphine oxides and acylphosphine sulfides of formula IV wherein n is 1 or 2; when n is 1, m is 1; when n is 2, m is 1 or 2; R 1 , when n=1, is C 1 –C 18 alkyl, C 2 –C 18 alkyl which is interrupted by one or several non-successive O atoms; phenyl-substituted C 1 –C 4 alkyl, C 2 –C 8 alkenyl, phenyl, naphthyl, biphenyl, C 5 –C 12 cycloalkyl or a 5- or 6-membered O-, S- or N-containing heterocyclic ring, the radicals phenyl, naphthyl, biphenyl, C 5 –C 12 cycloalkyl or the 5- or 6-membered O-, S- or N-containing heterocyclic ring being unsubstituted or substituted by one to five halogen, C 1 –C 6 alkyl, C 1 –C 8 alkylthio and/or C 1 –C 8 alkoxy; R 1 , when n=2, is C 1 –C 18 alkylene, C 2 –C 18 alkylene which is interrupted by one or several non-successive O atoms; or R 1 is C 1 –C 6 alkylene which is substituted by C 1 –C 4 alkoxy, phenyl, C 1 –C 4 alkylphenyl, phenyl-C 1 –C 4 alkyl or C 1 –C 4 alkoxyphenyl; or R 1 is phenylene or xylylene, which radicals are unsubstituted or substituted by one to three C 1 –C 4 alkyl and/or C 1 –C 4 alkoxy, or R 1 is a —CH 2 CH═CHCH 2 —, R 2 is C 1 –C 18 alkyl, C 3 –C 12 cycloalkyl, C 2 –C 18 alkenyl, phenyl, naphthyl, biphenyl or a 5- or 6-membered O-, S- or N-containing heterocyclic ring, the radicals phenyl, naphthyl, biphenyl or 5- or 6-membered O-, S- or N-containing heterocyclic ring being unsubstituted or substituted by one to four C 1 –C 8 alkyl, C 1 –C 8 alkoxy, C 1 –C 8 alkylthio and/or halogen; R 3 is C 1 –C 18 alkyl, C 2 –C 18 alkyl which is interrupted by one or several non-successive O atoms; phenyl-substituted C 1 –C 4 alkyl, C 2 –C 8 alkenyl, phenyl, naphthyl, biphenyl, C 5 –C 12 cycloalkyl or a 5- or 6-membered O-, S- or N-containing heterocyclic ring, the radicals phenyl, naphthyl, biphenyl, C 5 –C 12 cycloalkyl or the 5- or 6-membered O-, S- or N-containing heterocyclic ring being unsubstituted or substituted by one to five halogen, C 1 –C 8 alkyl, C 1 –C 8 alkylthio and/or C 1 –C 8 alkoxy; Q is a single bond, CR 6 R 7 , —O— or —S—; R 4 and R 5 are each independently of the other hydrogen, C 1 –C 4 alkyl or C 1 –C 4 alkoxy; R 6 and R 7 are each independently of the other hydrogen or C 1 –C 4 alkyl; and Z is O or S, by (1) reacting organic phosphorus halides of formula II wherein Y is Br or Cl and R 1 , R 3 , n and m have the meaning cited above, with an alkali metal or with magnesium in combination with lithium, or with mixtures thereof, optionally in the presence of a catalyst, and (2) subsequent reaction with m equivalents of acid halides of formula III wherein R 2 , m and Y have the meaning above, and (3) oxidation or reaction with sulfur of the acylphosphine of formula I which is obtained by reaction (2), wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , m and n have the meaning cited above, which process is carried out without isolation of the intermediates.