Patent ID: 7518002

Claim:
A method for preparing phthaleins, wherein the residual impurities have been removed, having the general formula (I): wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 and R 5 , which are identical to or different from one another, are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, hydroxyl, halogen, acetyl, amino, phosphate, nitro, sulfonate, carboxyl, alkylcarboxyl having from 2 to 30 carbon atoms, alkyl having from 1 to 30 carbon atoms, cycloalkyl having from 3 to 12 carbon atoms, alkyloxy having from 1 to 30 carbon atoms, haloalkyl having from 1 to 30 carbon atoms, hydroxyalkyl having from 1 to 30 carbon atoms, alkyl ester having from 2 to 40 carbon atoms, nitroalkyl having from 1 to 30 carbon atoms, carboxyalkyl having from 2 to 30 carbon atoms, aminoalkyl having from 1 to 30 carbon atoms, sulfoalkyl having from 1 to 30 carbon atoms, aryl, aryloxy, arylalkyl, haloaryl, aryl ester, succinimidyl ester, isothiocyanate, maleimide, iodoacetamide, haloacetamide, chlorosulfonic, purine or pyrimidine bases, monosaccharides, oligosides and polyosides, polypeptides, proteins and phospholipids, R 3 and R 5 are not hydrogen when R 1 is a group —CH 2 -CH 2 —COOH, R 2 is a hydroxyl group and R 4 is a group —COCH, wherein a phthalic anhydride derivative of formula (II) is condensed with a phenol or naphthol compound of formula (III) in which R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 and R 5 have the same meanings as above, the condensation being carried out in a solvent consisting of an organic acid ester of formula IV R 6 —COOR 7 (IV) wherein R 6 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl having from 1 to 30 carbon atoms, cycloalkyl having from 3 to 12 carbon atoms, haloalkyl having from 1 to 30 carbon atoms, hydroxyalkyl having from 1 to 30 carbon atoms, nitroalkyl having from 1 to 30 carbon atoms, aryl, aryloxy, alkylaryl, arylalkyl, substituted arylalkyl, haloaryl, aryl ester, alkyl ester having from 2 to 40 carbon atoms, and alkyloxy having from 1 to 30 carbon atoms, R 7 being selected from the group consisting of alkyl having from 1 to 30 carbon atoms, cycloalkyl having from 3 to 12 carbon atoms, haloalkyl having from 1 to 30 carbon atoms, hydroxyalkyl having from 1 to 30 carbon atoms, nitroalkyl having from 1 to 30 carbon atoms, aryl, aryloxy, alkylaryl, arylalkyl, substituted arylalkyl, haloaryl, aryl ester, alkyl ester having from 2 to 40 carbon atoms, or alkyloxy having from 1 to 30 carbon atoms.