The present invention provides a process for the preparation of a 5-substituted-l-(4-fluorophenyl)-1,3-dihydro-isobenzofuran of Formula (2), an intermediate for the manufacture of citalopram, which process comprises: (a) carrying out a Grignard reaction on a corresponding 5-substituted phthalide of Formula (3) in a co-solvent system, comprising adding (i) prepared 4-fluorophenyl magnesium halide in an ether solvent to (ii) the 5-substituted phthalide in a suitable organic co-solvent to the ether solvent, to form a corresponding 4-substituted-2-hydroxymethyl-4'-fluorobenzophenone of Formula (4); (b) carrying out a ketone reduction of the 4-substituted-2-hydroxymethyl-4'-fluorobenzophenone of Formula (4) following the Grignard reaction, to form a corresponding 4-substituted-2-hydroxymethylphenyl- 1-(4-fluorophenyl) methanol of Formula (5); and (c) carrying out a cyclisation reaction on the 4-substituted-2 hydroxymethylphenyl- 1-(4-fluorophenyl) methanol of Formula (5) following the reduction reaction, to form said intermediate of Formula (2); wherein R represents Br or CN.
本发明提供了一种制备5-取代-1-(4-
氟苯基)-
1,3-二氢异苯并呋喃的方法,该方法为
西酞普兰的制造提供了一种中间体,其过程包括:(a)在共溶剂体系中对相应的5-取代邻苯二甲
酰亚胺进行
格氏试剂反应,包括将(i)预先制备的4-
氟苯基
镁卤化物在醚溶剂中加入到(ii)适当的有机共溶剂中的5-取代邻苯二甲
酰亚胺中,以形成相应的4-取代-2-羟甲基-4'-
氟苯并酮的化合物(4);(b)在
格氏试剂反应后对化合物(4)进行酮还原,以形成相应的4-取代-2-羟甲基苯基-1-(4-
氟苯基)
甲醇的化合物(5);和(c)在还原反应后对化合物(5)进行环化反应,以形成所述的化合物(2)的中间体;其中R代表Br或CN。