Process and intermediates

A process for the preparation of a compound of the formula ##STR58## wherein R is either a remainder of a cleavable ester or a remainder of an ester known for pyrethrinoids selected from the group consisting of:

• a) benzyl optionally substituted on the aromatic vertices by at least one member of the group consisting of alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, alkenyl of 2 to 6 carbon atoms, alkenyloxy of 2 to 6 carbon atoms, alkadienyl of 4 to 8 carbon atoms, methylenedioxy and halogen;
• ##STR59## in which R.sub.1 is hydrogen or methyl and R.sub.2 is a monocyclic aryl or --C.tbd.CH;
• ##STR60## in which a hydrogen or methyl and R.sub.3 is aliphatic of 2 to 6 carbon atoms and having at least one carbon-carbon unsaturation;
• ##STR61## in which B is oxygen or sulfur or ##STR62## R.sub.4 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, chlorine, bromine, iodine, --C.tbd.N, methyl, --CONH.sub.2. --CSNH.sub.2 and --C.tbd.CH, R.sub.5 is halogen or methyl and n is 0, 1 or 2;
• ##STR63## in which R.sub.6, R.sub.7, R.sub.8 and R.sub.9 are hydrogen, chlorine or methyl and in which S/I symbolizes an aromatic ring or a dihydro, tetrahydro or hexahydro ring,
• f) (succimido or maleimido) methylene;
• ##STR64## in which R.sub.10 is hydrogen or CN, R.sub.12 is --CH.sub.2 or oxygen, R.sub.11 is thiazolyl or thiadiazolyl whose bond with ##STR65## can be found in any one of the available positions, R.sub.12 being linked to R.sub.11 by the carbon atom contained between the sulfur and the nitrogen;
• ##STR66## in which R.sub.13 is hydrogen or --CN or --C.tbd.CH, R.sub.14 is trifluoromethyl or alkyl, alkenyl or alkynyl of up to 6 carbon atoms and m is a number of 1, 2, 3 or 4;
• ##STR67## in which R.sub.13 is defined as above;
• ##STR68## in which R.sub.4 is defined as above, R.sub.15 is fluorine, chlorine or bromine and R.sub.16 is hydrogen, fluorine, chlorine or bromine;
• ##STR69## in which R.sub.4 is defined as above, each of R.sub.17 is independently selected from the group consisting of alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, alkoxy of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, alkylthio of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, alkylsulfonyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, trifluoromethyl, 3,4-methylenedioxy, chloro, fluoro or bromo, p is 0, 1 or 2 and B' is oxygen or sulfur;
• ##STR70## in which R.sub.18 is fluorine or methyl and R'.sub.18 is methyl, ethyl or propargyl;
• ##STR71## in which R.sub.21 is hydrogen --C.tbd.N, --C.tbd.CH, --CF.sub.3 or alkyl of 1 to 3 carbon atoms, R.sub.20, R.sub.22 and R.sub.23 individually are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, alkyl of 1 to 18 carbon atoms, aryl of up to 14 carbon atoms, aralkyl of up to 18 carbon atoms, cyano, --CF.sub.3, --CO.sub.2 -alkyl of up to 8 carbon atoms, NO.sub.2, alkoxy of up to 8 carbon atoms, ##STR72## n is 0, 1 and 2 and R.sub.24, R.sub.25 and R.sub.26 are alkyl of 1 to 8 carbon atoms, R.sub.22 and R.sub.23 being able to form a saturated or unsaturated carbonaceous homocycle of up to 8 carbon atoms and R.sub.19 is:
• a) either ##STR73## in which R.sub.27 and R.sub.28 are individually hydrogen, halogen, alkyl of 1 to 8 carbon atoms or aryl of up to 14 carbon atoms;
• b) or ##STR74## in which R'.sub.27, R'.sub.28 and R".sub.28 are individually one of the values for R.sub.27 and R.sub.28, the dotted lines being an optional second bond;
• c) or ##STR75## in which R.sub.29 can have the values indicated for R.sub.22 and R.sub.23 with the exception of halogen, cyano, --NO.sub.2, ##STR76## in which n is 1 or 2 and ##STR77## d) or ##STR78## in which R.sub.30 and R.sub.31 are individually hydrogen, alkyl of 1 to 18 carbon atoms, aryl of up to 14 carbon atoms, aralkyl of up to 18 carbon atoms, --CF.sub.3, --CO.sub.2 -alkyl of up to 8 carbon atoms or alkoxy of up to 8 carbon atoms, ##STR79## in which X is sulfur or oxygen, Y is >C.dbd.O, >C.dbd.S or --CH.sub.2, R.sub.32 is selected from the group consisting of saturated or unsaturated, alkyl or cycloalkyl of up to 8 carbon atoms optionally substituted by at least one halogen and aryl of up to 14 carbon atoms, R.sub.33 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, saturated or unsaturated alkyl or cycloalkyl of up to 8 carbon atoms optionally substituted by at least one halogen, aryl of up to 14 carbon atoms, --CF.sub.3, --NO.sub.2 --C.tbd.N, halogen, alkoxy of up to 8 carbon atoms and --CO.sub.2 -alkyl of up to 8 carbon atoms, R.sub.34 is hydrogen, alkyl of 1 to 3 carbon atoms or --C.tbd.CH;
• ##STR80## in which R.sub.35 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl of 1 to 3 carbon atoms, --C.tbd.N, --C.tbd.CH and --CF.sub.3, R.sub.36 and R.sub.38 are individually selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl of 1 to 3 carbon atoms optionally substituted by at least one halogen, alkenyl of 2 to 4 carbon atoms and halogen and R.sub.37 is phenyl optionally substituted by at least one alkyl of 1 to 3 carbon atoms or by at least one halogen, R' is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, saturated or unsaturated alkyl of 1 to 18 carbon atoms optionally substituted by at least one identical or different functional groups, or R' is cycloaliphatic of 3 to 7 carbon atoms substituted by at least one identical or different functional group, or R' is aryl of 6 to 14 carbon atoms optionally substituted by at least one identical or different functional group, or R' is heterocyclic optionally substituted by at least one identical or different functional group, in the form of mixtures of isomers or separate isomers at the level of the cyclopropane ring comprises reacting an ester of the formula ##STR81## in which R is defined as above with a halogenation agent to obtain a compound of the formula ##STR82## in which R is defined as above, and Hal is halogen in the form of a mixture of isomers at the level of the carbon atom in position 1' and treating the latter with a basic agent in the presence of a compound of the formula R'--OH, in which R' is defined as above to obtain the corresponding compound of formula I.