Method of preparing 2-aryl-1,3-cyclohexanedione compounds

A method of preparing a compound of the formula:

• ##STR9## which comprises reacting a compound of the formula:
• ##STR10## with a compound of the formula:
• ##STR11## in the presence of base, wherein:
• X is fluorine or chlorine;
• Z, Z" and Z'" are individually hydrogen, polyhaloalkyl, halogen, cyano, nitro, alkyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, alkanoyl, amido, amino or haloalkyl;
• Z' is nitro or alkylsulfonyl or Z' is alkyl or alkoxy when either Z'" or R.sub.1 is nitro;
• R.sub.1 is alkyl, haloalkyl, halogen, or polyhaloalkyl;
• R.sub.2, R.sub.3, R.sub.4, R.sub.5, R.sub.6, R.sub.7 are individually hydrogen or either substituted or unsubstituted alkyl or phenyl wherein the permissible substituents are one or more alkyl, cyano, halogen, nitro, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl or dialkylamino substituents or any two R.sub.2, R.sub.3, R.sub.4, R.sub.5, R.sub.6 or R.sub.7 substituents together may form an alkylene or alkenylene chain having from 2 to 20 carbon atoms completing a 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 membered ring structure;
• with the proviso that R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3, R.sub.4, R.sub.5, R.sub.6, R.sub.7, Z, Z', Z" and Z'" substituents individually may not include more than ten aliphatic carbon atoms.