Hoffmann-La Roche Inc.

Markus Schlageter

Ivan Kompis

Bruno Lohri

Martin Karpf

Alfredo Guerrato

Hanny K Berger

Surendra Gokhale

Christian-Johannes Jenny

A process for oxidizing primary and secondary alcohols to the corresponding aldehydes and ketones is disclosed. The oxidation is carried out by reacting the primary or secondary alcohol with an organic N-chloro compound oxidizing agent in the presence of a catalyst of the formula: ##STR1## wherein the substituent groups are as defined in the specification.

Process for the oxidation of alcohols

1,2,3,4-Tetrahydro-2-isoquinoline-derivatives of the formula ##STR1## wherein R signifies hydroxy, lower alkylamino, lower alkoxy or phenyl-C.sub.2-6 -alkoxy which can carry one or more lower alkyl or lower alkoxy substituents on the phenyl ring, can be manufactured by cyclizing a phenethylamine derivative of the formula ##STR2## wherein Z signifies benzyloxycarbonyl and R' signifies hydroxy, lower alkylamino, lower alkoxy or phenyl-lower-alkoxy which can carry one or more lower alkyl or lower alkoxy substituents on the phenyl ring, with formaldehyde in the presence of sulphuric acid in acetic acid to a corresponding tetrahydroisoquinoline derivative of the formula ##STR3## and cleaving off the group Z in the compound obtained.

Method for producing 2-isoquinoline compounds

Methyl 4-dimethylamino-3,5-dimethoxybenzoate, an intermediate in the preparation of the antibacterially active aditoprim, is obtained from 4-amino-3,5-dibromobenzoic acid by replacement of the bromine atoms by methoxy groups and subsequent methylation.

Process for the methyl-4-(dimethylamino)-3,5-dimethoxybenzoate

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Bottmingen, Switzerland

Markus Schlageter