PROCESS FOR PREPARING PYRIDINE DERIVATIVES

H-300 Fused carbocyclic ring derivatives of pyridine which contain a nitrile or thioamide group on the carbocyclic ring e.g. 8-cyano or thiocarboxamido-5,6,7,8-tetrahydroquinolines are prepared by a process in which a sodium, potassium, lithium or magnesium halide derivative of the pyridine compound is treated with a compound RaRbNCN wherein Ra and Rb are the same or different and represent alkyl, cycloalkyl, or aralkyl, or Ra and Rb are joined to form a heterocyclic ring with the nitrogen, and the product is treated with a proton source to obtain the nitrile which is optionally treated with a sulphurising agent to form the thioamide. The nitriles or thioamides may be isolated as their acid addition salts.