Procedures for preparing aryl- and heteroarylalkylsulfonyl halides.

Process for preparing a compound of Formula I: Ar - R - SO 2 - X wherein: Ar is aryl or heteroaryl optionally substituted by one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of halogen, C 1-C 6 cycloalkyl C 3-C 7 heterocycloalkyl, formyl, cyano, nitro, OH, alkoxy C 1- C6, arylalkyloxy, C1-C6 perhaloalkyl C1-C3, C1-C6 haloalkoxy, perhaloalkoxy C1-C3 alkyl, NR 1 R 2, NR 1 COR 3, aryl, aryloxy, heteroaryl and heretoariloxi; R is alquinelino C 1 -C 6; R 1 and R 2 are each independently H, C1-C6 alkyl, and C3-C7cycloalkyl; or R 1 and R 2 together with the N atom to which they are attached form a 5- or 6-membered; R 3 is selected from the group consisting of H, C1-C6 alkyl or C3-C7 alkyl; and X is halogen; wherein the term "cycloalkyl" as used above refers to a monocyclic hydrocarbon residue, bicyclic, tricyclic, fused, bridged, or spiro monovalent non-aromatic, in which one or more aromatic rings may be fused to hydrocarbon moiety nonaromatic; and wherein the term "heterocycloalkyl" as used above refers to a cycloalkyl group of 3 to 12 members in which one or more atoms are replaced by a heteroatom O, S, N or P and in which one or more aromatic rings may be fused to heterocyclic moiety nonaromatic; comprising: (a) reacting a compound of Formula II: Ar - R - L wherein L is a leaving group, with a sulfite salt metal of Group I or II optionally in the presence of a phase transfer catalyst phase to form a compound of the sulfonic acid salt of Formula III: wherein M is a metal ion of group I or II; (Ar - R -SO3 -1) qM wherein q is 1, M is a metal ion of Group I and q is 2 where M is a metal ion of Group II; (B) reacting said compound of Formula III with a protic acid to form a compound of the sulfonic acid of Formula IV: and Ar - R - SO3H (c) reacting said compound of Formula IV with a reagent for halogen substitution to form said compound of Formula I.