Patent ID: 7273938

Claim:
A process of preparing a compound of the formula I having the structure: wherein R 1 and R 2 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, (C 1 –C 8 )alkyl, (C 1 –C 8 )alkoxy-(C 1 –C 8 )alkyl-, (C 3 –C 8 )cycloalkyl-, (C 1 –C 8 )alkoxy-(C 4 –C 8 )cycloalkyl-, aryl, aryl(C 1 –C 8 )alkyl, heteroaryl, heteroaryl(C 1 –C 8 )alkyl, wherein aryl is phenyl or naphthyl, and heteroaryl is a 5 to 7 membered heteroaryl ring containing from one to four heteroatoms in the ring selected from oxygen, nitrogen and sulfur, with the proviso that said ring cannot contain two adjacent oxygen atoms or two adjacent sulfur atoms; or, wherein R 1 and R 2 together with the carbon to which they are attached form a 4 to 8 membered cycloalkyl ring, wherein said cycloalkyl ring may be optionally substituted with one to three substituents selected from the group consisting of (C 1 –C 8 )alkyl, (C 1 –C 8 )alkoxy, (C 1 –C 8 )alkoxy-(C 1 –C 8 )alkyl-, (C 4 –C 8 )cycloalkyl-, (C 4 –C 8 )cycloalkoxy-, (C 1 –C 8 )alkoxy-(C 4 –C 8 )cycloalkyl-, aryl, aryl(C 1 –C 8 )alkyl, heteroaryl, heteroaryl(C 1 –C 8 )alkyl, wherein aryl is phenyl or naphthyl, and heteroaryl is a 5 to 7 membered heteroaryl ring containing from one to four heteroatoms in the ring selected from oxygen, nitrogen and sulfur, with the proviso that said ring cannot contain two adjacent oxygen atoms or two adjacent sulfur atoms; wherein R 3 , R 4 , and R 5 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, (C 1 –C 8 )alkyl, (C 1 –C 8 )alkoxy, (C 1 –C 8 )alkoxy-(C 1 –C 8 )alkyl-, (C 4 –C 8 )cycloalkyl-, (C 4 –C 8 )cycloalkoxy-, (C 1 –C 8 )alkoxy-(C 4 –C 8 )cycloalkyl-, aryl, aryl(C 1 –C 8 )alkyl, heteroaryl, and heteroaryl(C 1 –C 8 )alkyl, wherein aryl is phenyl or naphthyl and heteroaryl is a 5 to 7 membered heteroaryl ring containing from one to four heteroatoms in the ring selected from oxygen, nitrogen and sulfur, with the proviso that said ring cannot contain two adjacent oxygen atoms or two adjacent sulfur atoms; wherein X is Br; wherein Y is N; comprising: (a) forming a mixture of a compound of the formula II having the structure: wherein Z is Br; and, X, Y, R 3 , R 4 , and R 5 are as defined above; with a compound of the formula III having the structure: wherein R 1 and R 2 are as defined above in a non-coordinating reaction inert solvent, and wherein the compound of formula III contains enolizable hydrogens; (b) treating the mixture formed in step (a) with a (C 1 –C 8 )alkyl lithium compound at a temperature of about −10° C. to about 40° C.; and, (c) quenching the mixture formed in (b) with a proton donor so as to form the compound of formula I.