Patent ID: 8202989

Claim:
A process for the preparation of a compound of formula (3): wherein R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, alkyl, alkoxy and nitro; which process comprises reacting a compound of formula (1): wherein substituents R 1 and R 2 are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, alkyl, alkoxy and nitro, with a compound of formula (2): wherein substituent R 3 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, alkyl, alkoxy and nitro, in the presence of aqueous acetic acid, at a temperature in the range of 70-150° C. for a period of 1-5 hrs, pouring the resultant reaction mixture into ice cold water and isolating the resultant solid product by neutralization, followed by filtration to obtain the compound of formula (3).