Patent ID: 8383859

Claim:
A method of preparing an amine of formula I: comprising reacting a compound of formula II with a compound of formula III: in the presence of ammonia NH 3 or an ammonia equivalent of the formula NH 4 + Y − , wherein R 1 is H or C(O)R 4 in which R 4 is NR 5 R 6 or OR 7 , and R 2 is selected from C 1-20 alkyl, C 1-20 alkoxy, C 2-20 alkenyl, C 2-20 alkynyl, C 3-20 cycloalkyl, C 3-20 cycloalkoxy, aryl, aryloxy, heteroaryl and heteroaryloxy, all of which are optionally substituted and one or more of the carbons in C 1-20 alkyl, C 1-20 alkoxy, C 2-20 alkynyl, C 3-20 cycloalkyl or C 3-20 cycloalkoxy is optionally replaced with a heteromoiety selected from O, S, N, NR 8 and NR 8 R 9 ; or R 1 and R 2 are independently selected from C 1-20 alkyl, C 1-20 alkoxy, C 2-20 alkenyl, C 2-20 alkynyl, C 3-20 cycloalkyl, C 3-20 cycloalkoxy, aryl, aryloxy, heteroaryl and heteroaryloxy, all of which are optionally substituted and one or more of the carbons in C 1-20 alkyl, C 1-20 alkoxy, C 2-20 alkenyl, C 2-20 alkynyl, C 3-20 cycloalkyl or C 3-20 cycloalkoxy is optionally replaced with a heteromoiety selected from O, S, N, NR 8 and NR 8 R 9 ; or R 1 and R 2 are linked to form an optionally substituted monocyclic or polycyclic ring system having 4 to 20 atoms including the carbonyl to which R 1 and R 2 are bonded and one or more of the carbons of the ring system is optionally replaced with a heteromoiety selected from O, S, N, NR 8 and NR 8 R 9 ; R 3 is selected from aryl, heteroaryl, R 10 to R 14 are independently selected from H, C 1-20 alkyl, C 1-20 alkoxy, C 2-20 alkenyl, C 2-20 alkynyl, C 3-20 cycloalkyl, C 3-20 cycloalkoxy, aryl, aryloxy, heteroaryl and heteroaryloxy, the latter 9 groups being optionally substituted and one or more of the carbons in C 1-20 alkyl, C 1-20 alkoxy, C 2-20 alkenyl, C 2-20 alkynyl, C 3-20 cycloalkyl or C 3-20 cycloalkoxy is optionally replaced with a heteromoiety selected from O, S, N, NR 8 and NR 8 R 9 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , R 8 and R 9 are independently selected from H, C 1-20 alkyl, C 3-20 cycloalkyl, aryl and heteroaryl with the latter 4 groups being optionally substituted, X is an anionic ligand; Y is an anionic counter ion; Q is a cationic counter ion; a is an integer representing the number of the anionic ligands X required to fulfill the valency requirements of B and Q; and b is an integer representing the number of the cationic counter ions Q required to fulfill the valency requirements of X and B.