Preparations of a sulfinyl acetamide

1. A process of preparing modafinil comprising the step of reacting chloroacetamide with benzhydrylthiol to form 2-(benzhydrylthiol) acetamide.

2. A process of preparing modafinil comprising the steps of reacting chloroacetamide with benzhydrylthiol to form 2-(benzhydrylthiol) acetamide, and oxidizing 2-(benzhydrylthiol) acetamide.

3. The process of claim 1 , wherein the benzhydrylthiol is formed by reacting benzhydrol with thiourea and a suitable acid to form a S-benzhydrylthiouronium salt, followed by reacting the S-benzhydrylthiouronium salt with a suitable base.

4. The process of claim 3 , wherein the steps are conducted in the same reaction vessel without isolation of any intermediates.

5. The process of claim 3 , wherein the suitable base is a metal hydroxide.

6. The process of claim 5 , wherein the metal hydroxide is sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide.

7. The process of claim 3 , wherein the suitable acid is hydrobromic acid, hydrochloric or sulfuric acid.

8. The process of claim 3 , wherein the reactions are conducted in a solvent system comprising water and an organic solvent selected from tetrahydrofuran, 1,2-dimethoxyethane, MTBE, acetonitrile, chlorobenzene, ortho-dichlorobenzene, or methylcyclohexane.

9. The process of claim 8 , wherein the temperature is from about 25° C. to the refluxing temperature of the solvent system.

10. The process of claim 9 , wherein the temperature is from about 25-75° C.

11. A process of preparing modafinil, comprising:

(1) reacting benzhydrol with a suitable acid and thiourea to form a S-benzhydrylthiouronium salt;

(2) reacting the S-benzhydrylthiouronium salt with a suitable base to form benzhydrylthiol;

(3) reacting the benzhydrylthiol with chloroacetamide to form 2-(benzhydrylthiol) acetamide;

(4) oxidizing 2-(benzhydrylthiol) acetamide with a suitable oxidizing agent to form modafinil.

12. The process of claim 11 , wherein the suitable acid is selected from either hydrobromic or hydrochloric acid; and the suitable base is selected from potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide; and the process steps are conducted using either a water/tetrahydrofuran or a water/chlorobenzene solvent system.

13. The process of claim 11 , wherein:

(1) an aqueous 48% hydrobromic acid solution (about 1-10 equivalents) is added to benzhydrol and thiourea (about 1-10 equivalents) at a temperature of about 25-75° C., to form S-benzhydrylthiouronium salt;

(2) an aqueous solution of potassium hydroxide (about 1-10 equivalents) is added, at a temperature of about 25-75° C., to the S-benzhydrylthiouronium salt to form the benzhydrylthiol;

(3) chloroacetamide as either a powder, or in solution with either water or a water/tetrahydrofuran mixture (about 1-10 equivalents) is combined with the benzhydrylthiol at a temperature of about 25-75° C. to form 2-(benzhydrylthiol) acetamide.

14. The process of claim 11 , wherein the temperature for steps 1, 2, and 3 is from about 50-75° C.

15. The process of claim 11 , wherein the 2-(benzhydrylthiol) acetamide is oxidized with an oxidizing agent selected from m-chloroperoxybenzoic acid, sodium periodate, or hydrogen peroxide wherein the hydrogen peroxide may optionally be combined with an acid selected from hydrochloric or acetic acid.

16. The process of claim 15 , wherein a 30% solution of hydrogen peroxide (about 1-2 equivalents) is combined with 2-(benzhydrylthiol) acetamide and acetic acid at a temperature of about 25-75° C.

17. The process of claim 16 , wherein the preparation of modafinil is conducted in the same reaction chamber without isolation of any intermediates.

18. A process of preparing modafinil comprising:

(1) reacting benzhydrol, thiourea (about 1-3 equivalents) and an aqueous 48% HBr solution (about 1-3 equivalents) in aqueous tetrahydrofuran at about 70° C. to form S-benzhydrylthiouronium salt;

(2) reacting the S-benzhydrylthiouronium salt with an aqueous potassium hydroxide solution (about 2-5 equivalents) at about 70° C. to form benzhydrylthiol;

(3) reacting chloroacetamide (about 1.05-2 equivalents) in an aqueous tetrahydrofuran solution, with the benzhydrylthiol at about 70° C., to form 2-(benzhydrylthiol) acetamide;

(4) reacting the 2-(benzhydrylthiol) acetamide with acetic acid (about 2-5 equivalents) and a 30% aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution (about 1.2-2 equivalents) to form modafinil.

19. A process of preparing modafinil comprising:

(1) reacting benzhydrol, thiourea (about 1-3 equivalents) and an aqueous 48% HBr solution (about 1-3 equivalents) in aqueous chlorobenzene at about 70° C. to form S-benzhydrylthiouronium salt;

(2) reacting the S-benzhydrylthiouronium salt with an aqueous potassium hydroxide solution (about 2-5 equivalents) at about 70° C. to form benzhydrylthiol;

(3) reacting chloroacetamide (about 1.05-2 equivalents) in powder form with the benzhydrylthiol at about 70° C., to form 2-(benzhydrylthiol) acetamide;

(4) reacting the 2-(benzhydrylthiol) acetamide with acetic acid (about 2-5 equivalents) and a 30% aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution (about 1.2-2 equivalents) to form modafinil.

20. The process of claim 2 further comprising the steps of reacting chloroacetamide with benzhydrylthiol to form 2-(benzhydrylthiol) acetamide, oxidizing 2-(benzhydrylthiol) acetamide to form modafinil, and isolating (R)-modafinil from modafinil.

21. The process of claim 11 further comprising:

(1) reacting benzhydrol with a suitable acid and thiourea to form a S-benzhydrylthiouronium salt;

(2) reacting the S-benzhydrylthiouronium salt with a suitable base to form benzhydrylthiol;

(3) reacting the benzhydrylthiol with chloroacetamide to form 2-(benzhydrylthiol) acetamide;

(4) oxidizing 2-(benzhydrylthiol) acetamide with a suitable oxidizing agent to form modafinil; and

(5) isolating (R)-modafinil from modafinil.

22. The process of preparing of claim 18 further comprising:

(1) reacting benzhydrol, thiourea (about 1-3 equivalents) and an aqueous 48% HBr solution (about 1-3 equivalents) in aqueous tetrahydrofuran at about 70° C. to form S-benzhydrylthiouronium salt;

(2) reacting the S-benzhydrylthiouronium salt with an aqueous potassium hydroxide solution (about 2-5 equivalents) at about 70° C. to form benzhydrylthiol;

(3) reacting chloroacetamide (about 1.05-2 equivalents) in an aqueous tetrahydrofuran solution, with the benzhydrylthiol at about 70° C., to form 2-(benzhydrylthiol) acetamide;

(4) reacting the 2-(benzhydrylthiol) acetamide with acetic acid (about 2-5 equivalents) and a 30% aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution (about 1.2-2 equivalents) to form modafinil; and

(5) isolating (R)-modafinil from modafinil.

23. The process of claim 19 further comprising:

(1) reacting benzhydrol, thiourea (about 1-3 equivalents) and an aqueous 48% HBr solution (about 1-3 equivalents) in aqueous chlorobenzene at about 70° C. to form S-benzhydrylthiouronium salt;

(2) reacting the S-benzhydrylthiouronium salt with an aqueous potassium hydroxide solution (about 2-5 equivalents) at about 70° C. to form benzhydrylthiol;

(3) reacting chloroacetamide (about 1.05-2 equivalents) in powder form with the benzhydrylthiol at about 70° C., to form 2-(benzhydrylthiol) acetamide;

(4) reacting the 2-(benzhydrylthiol) acetamide with acetic acid (about 2-5 equivalents) and a 30% aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution (about 1.2-2 equivalents) to form modafinil; and

(5) isolating (R)-modafinil from modafinil.

24. The process of claim 2 further comprising the steps of reacting chloroacetamide with benzhydrylthiol to form 2-(benzhydrylthiol) acetamide, oxidizing 2-(benzhydrylthiol) acetamide to form modafinil, and isolating (S)-modafinil from modafinil.

25. The process of claim 11 further comprising:

(1) reacting benzhydrol with a suitable acid and thiourea to form a S-benzhydrylthiouronium salt;

(2) reacting the S-benzhydrylthiouronium salt with a suitable base to form benzhydrylthiol;

(3) reacting the benzhydrylthiol with chloroacetamide to form 2-(benzhydrylthiol) acetamide;

(4) oxidizing 2-(benzhydrylthiol) acetamide with a suitable oxidizing agent to form modafinil; and

(5) isolating (S)-modafinil from modafinil.

26. The process of preparing of claim 18 further comprising:

(1) reacting benzhydrol, thiourea (about 1-3 equivalents) and an aqueous 48% HBr solution (about 1-3 equivalents) in aqueous tetrahydrofuran at about 70° C. to form S-benzhydrylthiouronium salt;

(2) reacting the S-benzhydrylthiouronium salt with an aqueous potassium hydroxide solution (about 2-5 equivalents) at about 70° C. to form benzhydrylthiol;

(3) reacting chloroacetamide (about 1.05-2 equivalents) in an aqueous tetrahydrofuran solution, with the benzhydrylthiol at about 70° C., to form 2-(benzhydrylthiol) acetamide;

(4) reacting the 2-(benzhydrylthiol) acetamide with acetic acid (about 2-5 equivalents) and a 30% aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution (about 1.2-2 equivalents) to form modafinil; and

(5) isolating (S)-modafinil from modafinil.

27. The process of claim 19 further comprising:

(1) reacting benzhydrol, thiourea (about 1-3 equivalents) and an aqueous 48% HBr solution (about 1-3 equivalents) in aqueous chlorobenzene at about 70° C. to form S-benzhydrylthiouronium salt;

(2) reacting the S-benzhydrylthiouronium salt with an aqueous potassium hydroxide solution (about 2-5 equivalents) at about 70° C. to form benzhydrylthiol;

(3) reacting chloroacetamide (about 1.05-2 equivalents) in powder form with the benzhydrylthiol at about 70° C., to form 2-(benzhydrylthiol) acetamide;

(4) reacting the 2-(benzhydrylthiol) acetamide with acetic acid (about 2-5 equivalents) and a 30% aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution (about 1.2-2 equivalents) to form modafinil; and

(5) isolating (S)-modafinil from modafinil.