uitable, for example, for use as crop protection agents, in particular as herbicides, as described in WO 96/26206 and WO 97/35850.
According to the invention, the compounds of the formula I and the required intermediates, in particular compounds of the formula VI or X, can be prepared advantageously by combining one or more of the following process steps a)-g):
a) reaction of a nitro-o-methylphenyl compound of the formula II 
xe2x80x83in which the radical R1 is as defined above with an organic nitrite Rxe2x80x94ONO in the presence of a base to give an oxime of the formula III 
xe2x80x83in which the radical R1 is as defined above;
b) cyclization of the oxime of the formula III with an alkene of the formula IV 
xe2x80x83in which R3 to R5 are as defined in claim 1 in the presence of a base to give the isoxazole of the formula V 
xe2x80x83in which R1 and R3 to R5 are as defined in claim 1;
c) reduction of the nitro group in the presence of a catalyst to give the aniline of the formula VI 
xe2x80x83in which R1 and R3 to R5 are as defined in claim 1;
d) reaction of the aniline of the formula VI with a dialkyl disulfide of the formula VII 
xe2x80x83in the presence of an organic nitrite Rxe2x80x94ONO and, if appropriate, a catalyst to give the thioether of the formula VIII 
xe2x80x83in which R1 to R5 are as defined in claim 1;
e) bromination of the thioether of the formula VIII with a brominating agent to give the bromothioether of the formula 
xe2x80x83in which R1 to R5 are as defined in claim 1;
f) oxidation of the bromothioether of the formula IX with an oxidizing agent to give the isoxazoles of the formula X 
xe2x80x83where n is the numbers 1 or 2,
g) if appropriate reacting the isoxazoline of the formula X with a compound of the formula R6xe2x80x94OH (XI) in the presence of carbon monoxide, a catalyst and a base, to give the compounds of the formula I.
Essentially, the process according to the invention for preparing compounds X comprises one or more of the process steps a)-f) or, in the case of the compounds I, one