Patent ID: 8350047

Claim:
A method of preparing a secondary amine of the formula Ia and/or Ib: wherein R 1 is selected from C 1-20 alkyl, C 1-20 alkoxy, C 2-20 alkenyl, C 2-20 alkynyl, C 3-20 cycloalkyl, C 3-20 cycloalkoxy, aryl, aryloxy, heteroaryl and heteroaryloxy, all of which are optionally substituted and one or more of the carbons in C 1-20 alkyl, C 1-20 alkoxy, C 2-20 alkenyl, C 2-20 alknyl, C 3-20 cycloalkyl or C 3-20 cycloalkoxy is optionally replaced with a heteromoiety selected from O, S, N, NR 7 and NR 7 R 8 ; R 2 to R 6 are independently selected from H, C 1-20 alkyl, C 1-20 alkoxy, C 2-20 alkenyl, C 2-20 alkynyl, C 3-20 cycloalkyl, C 3-20 cycloalkoxy, aryl, aryloxy, heteroaryl and heteroaryloxy, the latter 9 groups being optionally substituted and one or more of the carbons in C 1-20 alkyl, C 1-20 alkoxy, C 2-20 alkenyl, C 2-20 alkynyl, C 3-20 cycloalkyl or C 3-20 cycloalkoxy is optionally replaced with a heteromoiety selected from O, S, N, NR 7 and NR 7 R 8 ; R 7 and R 8 are independently selected from H, C 1-20 alkyl, C 3-20 cycloalkyl, aryl and heteroaryl, the latter 4 groups being optionally substituted; comprising reacting a compound of formula II: wherein R 1 is as defined for the compounds of formula Ia and Ib, with a compound of formula III: wherein R 2 -R 6 are as defined for the compounds of formulae Ia and Ib, in the presence of ammonia NH 3 or an ammonia equivalent of the formula NH 4 + X − , wherein X is an anionic counterion, and optionally isolating the amine of the formula Ia and/or Ib.