| abstract |
A process for producing N-cyclopropylanilines usable as important intermediates for the production of quinolonecarboxylic acids having a cyclopropyl group at the 1-position, a fluorine atom at the 6-position, and an alkyl group, an alkoxyl group or a fluorine-substituted methoxyl group at the 8-position and useful as synthetic antimicrobial agents from starting materials easily available on an industrial scale at low costs; and intermediates therefor. This process for producing N-cyclopropyl-3,4-difluoroanilines of general formula (4) is characterized by reacting a 3,4-difluoro-2-substituted aniline of general formula (1) with a 1-alkoxy-1-trialkylsilyloxycyclopropane of general formula (2) in the presence of an acid in an alcoholic solvent to obtain an N-alkoxycyclopropylaniline of general formula (3) and then reducing the N-alkoxycyclopropylaniline. |