Process for preparing an alkyl sulfonate derivative

A process for preparing an alkyl sulfonate derivative comprising:

• causing a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compound represented by the following formula (1):
• ##STR12## wherein X represents --O--, --S--, --NR.sup.1 --, --Se--, --Te-- or --CR.sup.2 R.sup.3 --, in which each of R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 independently represents a hydrogen atom or a lower alkyl group which may be substituted with a halogen atom, a lower alkoxy group, an amino group or a hydroxy group and R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 may be bonded each other to form a 5 to 8-membered ring containing oxygen or nitrogen together with a carbon atom of a pyrrole ring to which R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 are bonded, Y represents a hydrogen atom, a mercapto group, an arylthio group which may be substituted with a halogen atom, an aralkyl group which may be substituted with a halogen atom, a sulfo group, a halogen atom, an alkyl group which may be substituted with a halogen atom, an alkylthio group which may be substituted with a sulfo group, an alkoxy group or an alkoxyalkoxy group, an alkylsulfonyloxy group which may be substituted with a halogen atom or an arylsulfonyloxy group which may be substituted with a halogen atom or an alkyl group, R.sup.4 and R.sup.5, R.sup.5 and R.sup.6, R.sup.6 and R.sup.7 and R.sup.7 and R.sup.8 are, in at least one of the combinations, bonded each other to form an aromatic ring or a cycloalkene ring together with a divalent hydrocarbon group of a naphthalene ring to which R.sup.5, R.sup.6, R.sup.7 and R.sup.8 are bonded, and R.sup.4, R.sup.5, R.sup.6 , R.sup.7 and R.sup.8 which do not participate the formation of the ring represent a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, an aryl group, an alkoxy group which may be substituted with a sulfo group, an aryloxy group, an alkylthio group, a haloalkyl group, a halogen atom, a cyano group, a carboxy group or a sulfo group;
• to react in the presence of Lewis acid with an aliphatic sultone represented by the following formula (2):
• ##STR13## wherein Z represents an alkylene group which may substituted with an alkyl group, an alkoxy group or halogen atom;
• to give an alkyl sulfonate derivative represented by the following formula (3):
• ##STR14## wherein Y, R.sup.4, R.sup.5, R.sup.6, R.sup.7, R.sup.8, X and Z represent the meanings defined above.