Appeal No. 2006-0767
Application No. 09/962,258
compounds by the cross-coupling reaction of a substituted aryl halide compound with a
Grignard reagent in the presence of a nickel catalyst, where only a part of the
substituted aryl halide compound is initially charged together with the nickel catalyst and
an optional solvent and the remainder of the substituted aryl halide compound is added
during introduction of the Grignard reagent (Brief, page 2). Illustrative independent
claim 1 is reproduced below:
1. A process for preparing aryl compounds comprising cross-coupling reaction of
a substituted aryl halide compound with a Grignard reagent in the presence of a nickel
catalyst,
wherein the nickel catalyst is prepared by loading a support material with an
aqueous solution of a nickel compound and reducing the nickel compound using a
reducing agent;
and wherein only part of the substituted aryl halide compound is initially charged
together with the nickel catalyst and an optional solvent and the remainder of the
substituted aryl halide compound is added during introduction of the Grignard reagent.
The examiner has relied upon Lipshutz et al. (Lipshutz), “Kumada couplings
catalyzed by nickel on charcoal (Ni/C),” Inorganica Chimica Acta, Vol. 296, issue 1, pp.
164-169 (Dec. 15, 1999), as the sole evidence of obviousness (Answer, page 2).
Claims 1-3 and 19-22 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103(a) as unpatentable over
Lipshutz (Answer, page 3).
Based on the totality of the record, we affirm the examiner’s rejection on appeal
essentially for the reasons stated in the Answer, as well as those reasons set forth
2
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