Patent ID: 7009062

Claim:
A process for preparing a compound of the formula: comprising metallating a compound of the formula: wherein R 1 –R 4 , are, independently, hydrogen or a group of hydroxyl, alkyl, alkenyl, ether, ester, aryl, O-glycosyl, alkoxy, alkenoxy, aryloxy, halogen, nitro or amino, and/or any two adjacent R 1 –R 4 may combine to form a ring system, and R is hydrogen, an alkoxy group or an optionally substituted phenyl group, with an inorganic lithium compound, and subsequently reacting the metallated compound with a keto compound of the formula: wherein R 6 –R 10 are, independently, hydrogen or a group of hydroxyl, alkyl, alkenyl, ether, ester, aryl, O-glycosyl, alkoxy, alkenoxy, aryloxy, halogen, nitro or amino, and/or any two adjacent R 6 –R 10 may combine to form a ring system, and R 5 is a halide, alkoxy or ester group, wherein the ratio of molar equivalents of the lithium compound to the functional groups to be metallated on the 2-hydroxyacetophenone compound is 1–1.2.