Patent ID: 8637678

Claim:
A method of initiating a reaction represented by scheme 1: wherein Q is phenyl or 5-6 membered heteroaryl containing 1 or 2 heteroatoms independently selected from O, N and S, wherein the phenyl and heteroaryl are optionally substituted by one or more groups independently selected from halogen, C 1 -C 8 -alkyl, C 1 -C 8 -haloalkyl, C 1 -C 8 -alkoxy, cyano, hydroxyl, and amino; and wherein, in addition to the foregoing, the phenyl or heteroaryl is substituted at the ortho position with respect to X by a group selected from phenyl, C 1 -C 8 -alkyl, C 1 -C 8 -alkoxy, or C 3 -C 6 -cycloalkyl, and wherein each phenyl, C 1 -C 8 -alkyl, C 1 -C 8 -alkoxy, and C 3 -C 6 -cycloalkyl is optionally substituted by one or more groups independently selected from halogen, C 1 -C 8 -alkyl, C 1 -C 8 -alkoxy, C 3 -C 6 -cycloalkyl, C 1 -C 8 -haloalkyl, C 1 -C 8 -haloalkoxy, and C 3 -C 6 -halocycloalkyl; or when Q is phenyl it is substituted at the ortho- and meta-position with respect to X by a fused bicyclo[2.2.1]heptane or bicyclo[2.2.1]heptene ring, each optionally substituted with one or more groups independently selected from halogen, C 1 -C 8 -alkyl, C 1 -C 8 -haloalkyl, C 1 -C 8 -alkoxyl, C 1 -C 8 -alkylthio, C 1 -C 8 -alkylamino, cyano, and hydroxyl, wherein any alkyl, haloalkyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, or alkylamino substituent may join with another alkyl, haloalkyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, or alkylamino substituent to form a ring; or the fused bicyclo[2.2.1]heptane or bicyclo[2.2.1]heptene ring is optionally substituted by ═N—N(R 4b )R 5b , wherein R 4b and R 5b are independently selected from C 1 -C 8 -alkyl; or the fused bicyclo[2.2.1]heptane or bicyclo[2.2.1]heptene ring is optionally substituted by ═C(R 3a )R 4a wherein R 3a and R 4a are independently selected from C 1 -C 8 alkyl and C 1 -C 8 haloalkyl; X is halogen or a sulphonate; P is phenyl, pyridyl, pyrrole, or pyrazole, each optionally substituted with one to three substituents independently selected from C 1 -C 4 -alkyl, C 1 -C 4 -haloalkyl and halogen; R is hydrogen or methyl; wherein the catalyst comprises copper and a ligand, wherein the ligand is an optionally substituted 1,2 diamine or an optionally substituted 1,3 diamine; comprising providing the compound of formula III in liquid form prior to contacting the compound of formula III with the catalyst; comprising the steps a) providing the compound of formula III in liquid form, b) contacting the copper with the compound of formula III, c) contacting the ligand with the compound of formula III, wherein at least one of steps b) and c) is performed after step a); wherein step a) comprises heating the compound of formula III.