Patent ID: 7045608

Claim:
A process for the preparation of an azo compound of formula (I) wherein X is O— or —NR 7 —, Y is —N═ or —CR 8 ═, A is a colourless anion, R 1 and R 8 each independently of the other are hydrogen; C 1 –C 4 alkyl; C 1 –C 4 alkyl substituted by —OH, —C 1 –C 4 alkoxy, halogen, —CN or by phenyl; halogen or nitro, R 2 and R 7 each independently of the other are hydrogen; unsubstituted C 1 –C 4 alkyl or C 1 –C 4 alkyl substituted by —OH, C 1 –C 4 alkoxy, halogen, —CN or by phenyl, R 3 and R 4 each independently of the other are hydrogen; unsubstituted C 1 –C 4 alkyl; C 1 –C 4 alkyl substituted by —OH, —C 1 –C 4 alkoxy, halogen, —CN or by phenyl; unsubstituted C 1 –C 12 alkoxy; C 1 –C 12 alkoxy substituted by —OH, —C 1 –C 4 alkoxy, halogen, —CN or by phenyl; or halogen, R 5 is hydrogen; unsubstituted C 1-4 alkyl; or C 1 –C 4 alkyl substituted by —OH, —C 1 –C 4 alkoxy, halogen, —CN or by phenyl, R 6 is hydrogen; unsubstituted C 1-4 alkyl; C 1 –C 4 alkyl substituted by —OH, —C 1 –C 4 alkoxy, halogen, —CN or by phenyl; or a radical of formula (a) or (b) wherein X, Y, A, R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 and R 5 are as defined above, and R 9 and R 10 each independently of the other are hydrogen; unsubstituted C 1 –C 4 alkyl; C 1 –C 4 alkyl substituted by —OH, —C 1 –C 4 alkoxy, halogen, —CN or by phenyl; —OR 11 ; —NR 11 R 12 or —NR 11 COR 12 , wherein R 11 and R 12 each independently of the other are hydrogen; —NH 2 ; unsubstituted C 1 –C 12 alkyl or C 1 –C 12 alkyl substituted by —OH, —C 1 –C 4 alkoxy, halogen, —CN or by phenyl, Q is a bridging member, and m is 0 or 1, or R 5 and R 6 together with the nitrogen atom to which they are bonded form a pyrrolidine, piperidine, morpholine or piperazine ring, by reaction of a compound of formula (II) or a mixture of compounds of formula (II) with a compound of formula (III) or with a mixture of compounds of formula (III) NHR 5 R 6 (III), wherein all the substituents are as defined above, in an inert solvent or solvent mixture, which process comprises adding to the reaction mixture at least one tertiary amine and/or at least one alcoholate of the formula R 13 O-Z, wherein R 13 is unsubstituted C 1 –C 10 alkyl or C 1 –C 10 alkyl substituted by —OH, —C 1 –C 4 alkoxy, halogen, —CN or by phenyl, and Z is an alkali metal.