Patent ID: 7498456

Claim:
A method for forming a O-alkyl-S-(α,α′-disubstituted-α″ acetic acid) xanthate compound, comprising the steps of: reacting a alkoxylate salt of a xanthate compound, carbon disulfide, a haloform, and a ketone in the presence of a base, and optionally a solvent and a catalyst selected from quaternary amines and salts thereof, and a polyether to form a reaction product; and acidifying said reaction product to form a O-alkyl-S-(α,α′-disubstituted-α″ acetic acid) xanthate compound represented by the formula: wherein R 12 and R 13 , independently, can be the same or different, can optionally be substituted, and are selected from a linear or branched alkyl having from 1 to about 12 carbon atoms; an aryl group having from 6 to about 18 carbon atoms; R 12 and R 13 can form and be part of a substituted or unsubstituted cyclic ring having from 3 to about 12 carbon atoms; wherein when R 12 and R 13 are substituted said substituents are selected from alkyl having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms, aryl, halogen, cyano, an ether having a total of 2 to 20 carbon atoms, nitro, and combinations thereof; wherein R 14 is optionally substituted, and is selected from linear or branched alkyl having from 1 to about 12 carbon atoms, an aryl group optionally saturated or unsaturated; an arylalkyl having from about 7 to about 18 carbon atoms; an acyl group; an alkene group; an alkenealkyl having from 3 to about 18 carbon atoms; an alkylene group; an alkoxyalkyl; a polyalkylene glycol residue; a polyalkylene glycol monoalkyl ether residue having from about 3 to about 200 carbon atoms; a polyalkylene glycol monoaryl ether residue having from about 3 to about 200 carbon atoms, 2-trifluoroethyl; alkyl substituted with phosphorous; wherein said “a” is 1 to about 4; and wherein when R 14 is substituted said substituents are selected from alkyl having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms, aryl, halogen, cyano, amino, alkene, alkoxycarbonyl, aryloxycarbonyl, carboxy, acyloxy, carbamoyl, alkylcarbonyl, alkylarylcarbonyl, arylcarbonyl, arylalkylcarbonyl, phthalimido, maleimido, succinimido, amidino, guanidimo, allyl, epoxy, alkoxy, quaternary ammonium salt, hydroxyl, an ether having a total of from 2 to about 20 carbon atoms, nitro, sulfur, phosphorous, carboalkoxy, and combinations thereof.