Patent ID: 7396932

Claim:
A process for preparing a compound of formula III, comprising: (a) contacting a compound of formula I with a compound of formula II in the presence of a first base; wherein: Z is selected from Cl, Br, I, OSO 2 Me, OSO 2 Ph, and OSO 2 Ph-p-Me; ring D is selected from phenyl, 2-fluorophenyl, 3-chlorophenyl, and 4-methoxyphenyl; R 1a is selected from CH 3 , CH 2 CH 3 , CH 2 CH 2 CH 3 , OCH 3 , OCH 2 CH 3 , OCH 2 CH 2 CH 3 , OCH(CH 3 ) 2 , OCH 2 CH 2 CH 2 CH 3 , OCH(CH 3 )CH 2 CH 3 , OCH 2 CH(CH 3 ) 2 , OC(CH 3 ) 3 , O-phenyl, OCH 2 -phenyl, OCH 2 CH 2 -phenyl, and OCH 2 CH 2 H 2 -phenyl; R is selected from Cl, Br, and I; ring A is substituted with 0-1 R 4 ; B is NO 2 ; and R 4 is selected from H, OH, OCH 3 , OCH 2 CH 3 , OCH 2 CH 2 CH 3 , OCH(CH 3 ) 2 , F, Cl, Br, I, CH 3 , CH 2 CH 3 , CH 2 CH 2 CH 3 , CH(CH 3 ) 2 , CH 2 CH 2 CH 2 CH 3 , CH 2 CH(CH 3 ) 2 , CH(CH 3 )CH 2 CH 3 , CH(CH 3 ) 3 , —CN, and CF 3 .