HERSTELLUNG VON ORTHO-(AKYLTHIOMETHYL)-ANILINEN DURCH KATALYTISCHE UMLAGERUNG VON SULFIMIDEN

This invention relates to a process for preparing ortho-(alkylthiomethyl)anilines, e.g. 2-(methylthiomethyl)-6-(trifluoromethyl)aniline of the formulaby catalytic rearrangement of aromatic sulfimides, e.g. N-(2-trifluoromethylphenyl)-S,S-dimethylsulfimide of the formulain an inert organic solvent. The sulfimides can be prepared. using any of the procedures available in the art. This invention particularly relates to a new class of sulfimides rearrangement catalysts. These catalysts are selected from the group consisting of:andwherein R, can be a hydrogen, a lower alkyl or an - NH - alkyl and R2 can be a hydrogen, a lower alkyl, aryl or aprovided that R, and R2 are not both hydrogens, or R, and R2 can be joined to form a cyclic compound having up to a 7- member ring, and R3 and R4 can be a hydrogen, or a lower alkyl; provided that R3 and R4 are not both hydrogens, or R3 and R4 can be joined to form a cyclic compound having up to a 7-member ring, especially from the group consisting of succinimide, imidazole, glutarimide, phthalimide, 2-pyrrolidone, 2-imidazolidone and cyanuric acid.