A process for the preparation of 4-¬2-(aryl or heterocyclo)-1H-imidazol-1-yl|benzenesulfonamides

A process to make a compound of the formula or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof is disclosed wherein R is a radical selected from hydrido, alkyl, haloalkyl, aralkyl, heterocycloalkyl, heteroaralkyl, acyl, cyano, alkaxy, alkylthio, alkylthioalkyl, alkylsulfonyl, cycloalkylthio, cycloalkylthioalkyl, cycloalkylsulfonyl, cycloalkylsulfonylalkyl, haloalkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, halo, hydroxyalkyl, alkoxyalkyl, alkylcarbonyl, arylcarbonyl, aralkylcarbonyl, heterocyclocarbonyl, cyanoalkyl, aminoalkyl, alkylaminoalkyl, N-arylaminoalkyl, N-alkyl-N-arylaminoalkyl, carboxyalkyl, alkoxycarbonylalkyl, alkoxycarbonyl, haloalkylcarbonyl, carboxyl, aminocarbonyl, alkylaminocarbonyl, alkylaminocarbonylalkyl, heteroarylalkoxyalkyl, heteroaryloxyalkyl, heteroarylthioalkyl, aralkoxy, aralkylthio, heteroaralkoxy, heteroaralkylthio, heteroarylalkylthioalkyl, heteroaryloxy, heteroarylthio, arylthioalkyl, aryloxyalkyl, arylthio, aryloxy, aralkylthioalkyl, aralkoxyalkyl, aryl and heteroaryl; wherein R is a radical selected from hydrido, alkyl and halo; and wherein R is selected from aryl and heterocyclo, wherein R is optionally substituted at a substitutable position with one or more radicals independently selected from alkylsulfonyl, aminosulfonyl, halo, alkylthio, alkyl, cyano, carboxyl, alkoxycarbonyl, haloalkyl, hydroxyl, alkoxy, hydroxyalkyl, alkoxyalkyl, haloalkoxy, amino, alkylamino, arylamino and nitro; said method comprising the steps of forming a (protected sulfonyl)benzenamine, treating said (protected sulfonyl)benzenamine first with a base and then with a nitrile to form an amidine, treating said amidine with a haloketone derivative in the presence of a base to form a hydroxyimidazole, forming a (protected sulfonylphenyl) imidazole by dehydrating said hydroxyimidazole, and forming said compounds by deprotecting said (protected sulfonylphenyl)imidazole.