Abstract: A method of preparing an ester of a carboxylic acid functionalized with a moiety selected from the group consisting of halides, sulfonates, ethers, hydroxyl, amines, and aldehydes, said method comprising: (a) providing either a carboxylic acid having a vinyl group or an ester thereof; (b) functionalizing the vinyl carbon closest to the carboxyl group with said moiety, wherein said functionalizing comprises cleaving said vinyl group.

Abstract: A method for the preparation of aromatic hydroxythiols including oxidizing an aromatic aminothiol to form an aminodisulfide compound; forming a bis-diazonium salt of the aminodisulfide compound; and reacting the bis-diazonium salt with water to form an aromatic hydroxyldisulfide compound, which is then reduced to the hydroxythiol. New bis-diazonium aromatic disulfide compounds are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method for the preparation of hydroxythiol compounds by reacting a hydroxyl-protected halide compound having the structure:X--R--OPgwith magnesium in a Grignard-suitable solvent to form a hydroxyl-protected magnesium halide compound, wherein R is selected from substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic radicals, substituted or unsubstituted cyclic aliphatic radicals, substituted or unsubstituted aromatic radicals, substituted or unsubstituted araliphatic radicals and substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic radicals; Pg is a protecting group; and X is selected from the group consisting of F, Cl, Br and I; then reacting said hydroxyl-protected magnesium halide compound with sulfur in the Grignard-suitable solvent to form a hydroxyl-protected thiomagnesium halide compound; and hydrolyzing the protected hydroxyl group to form a hydroxythiomagnesium halide compound and converting the thiomagnesium halide to a thiol; wherein the protecting group is selected so that species formed by the de-protection of the protect

Abstract: The invention is directed to an improved process for the preparation of spirocyclic lactams which utilizes diiodides in the spiro alkylation of lactams N-substituted with a tertiary amine group. The resultant spirocyclic lactams are useful in the production of various substituted azaspiranes which are useful as immunomodulatory agents.