Patent ID: 8742125

Claim:
A process for the preparation of a 2-trifluoromethyl-5-(1-substituted)-alkylpyridine (I), wherein R 1 and R 2 independently represent H, C 1 -C 4 alkyl, or either of R 1 or R 2 taken together with R 3 represent a 4- to 6-membered saturated ring, or R 1 taken together with R 2 represents a 3- to 6-membered saturated ring optionally substituted with an O or a N atom, R 3 represents C 1 -C 4 alkyl or R 3 taken together with either of R 1 or R 2 represent a 4- to 6-membered saturated ring, and X represents CH 2 , O or S, in which: i) an 4-alkoxy-1,1,1-trifluorobut-3-en-2-one of the formula (II) in which R represents a C 1 -C 4 alkyl is condensed with an enamine (III) wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and X are as previously defined, and R 4 and R 5 independently represent C 1 -C 8 alkyl, C 2 -C 8 alkenyl, C 1 -C 8 arylalkyl, C 1 -C 8 haloalkyl, C 1 -C 8 alkoxyalkyl, C 1 -C 8 alkylaminoalkyl, aryl or heteroaryl or R 4 and R 5 taken together with N represent a 5- or 6-membered saturated or unsaturated ring, to provide an intermediate of the formula (IV) wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 and X are as previously defined, and ii) the intermediate of the formula (IV) is cyclized in the presence of ammonia or a reagent capable of generating ammonia, the improvement comprising conducting both steps in a nonpolar solvent without isolation or purification of the condensation intermediate IV.