Patent ID: 7078543

Claim:
A process for preparing oxiranecarboxylic acids and derivatives thereof, comprising the synthesis of a compound of the formula (X): in which R 1 is a straight-chain or branched mono-, poly-, or unsubstituted alkyl group; a straight-chain or branched mono-, poly-, or unsubstituted alkylene group;, a straight-chain or branched mono-, poly-, or unsubstituted aralkyl or alkylaryl group; or a mono-, poly- or unsubstituted aryl group, and R 6 is selected from the group consisting of OH; O − M + ; O − M 2+ , where M is an alkali metal, an alkaline earth metal, an earth metal, or a cation of an organic nitrogen base; and OR, where R is a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl or alkylene group having 1 to 15 carbon atoms, comprising the steps: (a) reacting a compound of the formula (V) with an amine of the formula (VI) to give a compound of the formula (VII): in which R 1 is as defined above, and R 4 and R 5 are identical or different straight-chain or branched mono-, poly-, or unsubstituted alkyl groups; straight-chain or branched mono-, poly-, or unsubstituted alkylene groups; straight-chain or branched mono-, poly-, or unsubstituted aralkyl or alkylaryl groups; or mono-, poly-, or unsubstituted aryl groups, where R 4 NCR 5 may be part of a substituted or unsubstituted cyclic structure which may contain a heteroatom selected from the group consisting of N, S, and O; (b) converting a compound of the formula (VII) into a lactone of the formula (VIII): in which R 1 , R 4 , and R 5 are as defined above, R 1 and R 4 NCR 5 are not simultaneously —(CH 2 ) 6 —OBn, wherein Bn represents benzyl, and an unsubstituted five-membered ring, respectively, and X 4 is a functional group capable of forming a cationic intermediate in a reaction with a C—C double bond and is a good leaving group; (c) converting a lactone of the formula (VIII) into a compound of the formula (IX): in which R 1 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , and X 4 are as defined above, and R 1 and R 4 NCR 5 are not simultaneously —(CH 2 ) 6 —OBn, wherein Bn represents benzyl, and an unsubstituted five-membered ring, respectively; and (d) converting a compound of the formula (IX) into the compound of the formula (X): in which R 1 , R 6 , and X 4 are as defined above.