Patent ID: 7015320

Claim:
A process for the preparation of a compound of formula (I) wherein: R 1 is selected from H, C 1-6 alkyl substituted with 0-3 R 3 , C 3-6 cycloalkyl substituted with 0-3 R 3 , and C 6-10 aryl substituted with 0-3 R 3 , and a 5-6 membered heterocycle having 1-2 heteroatoms selected from O, N, and S, the heterocycle being substituted with 0-3 R 3 ; R 3 is selected from C 1-4 alkyl, C 1-4 haloalkyl, F, Cl, Br, I, CN, NO 2 , —S—R 4 , —O—R 4 , —SO 2 R 4a , —C(O)OR 4a , —NHC(O)R 4 , —C(O)NHR 4 , —NHC(O)OR 4a , —OC(O)NHR 4a , —OC(O)R 4 , and C 6-10 aryl substituted with 0-3 R 5 ; R 4 is selected from H, C 1-4 alkyl, and phenyl; R 4a is selected from C 1-4 alkyl, and phenyl; R 5 is selected from F, Cl, Br, I, CN, NO 2 , —S—R 4 , —O—R 4 , —SO 2 R 4 , —C(O)OR 4a , —N(R 4 ) 2 , —NHC(O)R 4 , —C(O)NHR 4 , —OC(O)R 4 , —C(O)OR 4 , and phenyl; n is selected from 0, 1, 2, 3; the process comprising: contacting a compound of formula (II) with hydrogen under a suitable pressure in the presence of an iridium complex of the formula (R 2 )IrL + X − wherein L is a chelating diene, X is a non coordinating anion, and R 2 is selected from