Continuous preparation of substituted oxazoles

1. A process for continuously preparing 5-alkoxy-substituted oxazoles of the formula I

where

R 1 is an unsubstituted or substituted C 1 –C 6 -alkyl radical and

R 2 is hydrogen or an unsubstituted or substituted C 1 –C 6 -alkyl radical, which comprises

converting continuously added α-isocyanoalkanoate esters of the formula II

 in the presence of continuously added cyclizing assistants selected from the group consisting of bases, alcohols and esters,

at temperatures above 80° C.

in a reaction column

to the 5-alkoxy-substituted oxazoles of the formula I, and continuously removing the 5-alkoxy-substituted oxazoles of the formula I from the reaction mixture by rectification, wherein the rectification parameters are set in such a way that

A the α-isocyanoalkanoate esters of the formula II are converted to the 5-alkoxy-substituted oxazoles of the formula I on internals in the reaction column and, if present, in a liquid phase of the reaction column,

B the 5-alkoxy-substituted oxazoles of the formula I resuling from the conversion are continuously removed with a top stream or sidestream of the reaction column and

C the assistant and any high-boilers resulting from the conversion are removed continuously and independently of each other with a bottom stream or sidestream of the reaction column.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the conversion is carried out in the presence of an inert solvent and the reaction parameters are set in such a way that

A the α-isocyanoalkanoate esters of the formula II are converted to the 5-alkoxy-substituted oxazoles of the formula I on the internals and, if present, in the liquid phase of the reaction column,

B1 when the solvent has a higher boiling point than the 5-alkoxy-substituted oxazoles of the formula I resulting from the conversion, the 5-alkoxy-substituted oxazoles of the formula I are continuously removed with the top stream and the solvent is continuously removed via, the sidestream or bottom stream of the reaction column,

B2 when the solvent has a lower boiling point than the 5-alkoxy-substituted oxazoles of the formula I resulting from the conversion, the 5-alkoxy-substituted oxazoles of the formula I are continuously removed with a sidestream and the solvent is continuously removed with the top stream of the reaction column, and

C the assistant and any high-boilers resulting from the conversion are removed continuously and independently of each other with the bottom stream or sidestream of the reaction column.

3. The process of claim 1 , wherein the reaction column used is a dividing wall column.

4. The process of claim 1 , wherein, when the assistant forms an azeotrope with the 5-alkoxy-substituted oxazoles of the formula I, the top pressure of the column is set in such a way that the fraction of the assistant in the azeotrope in the top stream is as low as possible.

5. The process of claim 1 , wherein the top pressure of the column is set to from 5 to 800 mbar and the resulting bottom pressure, which depends on the type of column used and, if used, the type of column internals, is from 10 mbar to atmospheric pressure.

6. A process for prepering pyridoxine derivatives of the formula IX

where

R 2 is hydrogen or an unsubstituted or substituted (C 1 –C 6 -alkyl radical, which comprises converting amino acids of the formula III

 to ammo esters of the formula IV,

where

R 1 is an unsubstituted or substituted C 1 –C 6 -alkyl radical, converting the latter into formamido esters of the formula V,

 converting the latter into α-isocyanoalkanoate esters of the formula II,

 converting the latter by the process of claim 1

to 5-alkoxy-substituted oxazoles of the formula I

 reacting the latter with protected diols of the formula VI

where

R 3 and R 4 independently or R 3 and R 4 together are a protecting group of the hydroxy function,

to give the Diels-Alder adducts of the formula VII

 and converting the latter by acid treatment and detachment of the protecting group to the pyridoxine derivatives of the formula IX.