the present invention may be represented by the following reaction scheme i str1 wherein x is chloro or iodo the resulting compound iii may be reacted to provide a retinoid according to the following scheme ii str2 see u s pat nos 5 089 509 and 5 264 578 which are hereby incorporated by reference to show the preparation of the retinoid of formula v the invention is further illustrated by the following examples which are illustrative of a specific mode of practicing the invention and are not intended as limiting the scope of the appended claim to a slurry of 6 chloronicotinic acid 5 0 g 31 73 mmol in anhydrous toluene 35 ml was added dropwise with stirring triethylorthoacetate 15 45 g 95 2 mmol the mixture was warmed to reflux for two hours allowed to cool to ambient temperature and then the resultant solution was washed with saturated nahco 3 solution 50 ml the organic phase was dried mgso 4 and the solvent removed in vacuo to afford the titled compound as a clear colorless oil 5 43 g 29 27 mmol 92 3 yield using the same procedure for ethyl 6 chloronicotinate but instead using 6 iodonicotinic acid 7 14 g 28 67 mmol and triethylorthoacetate 13 96 g 86 02 mmol gave the titled compound as a white solid 7 340 g 26 49 mmol 92 4 a mixture of 0 632 g 2 75 mmol of 4 4 dimethylthiochroman 6 yl acetylene 64 mg 0 33 mmol of copper i iodide and 5 08 g 50 3 mmol of triethylamine are degassed with argon for 15 minutes to.