TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The ammonia reagent of steps a) and a1) is selected from ammonia (NH3) gas, aqueous NH3, and NH4Cl. The lewis acid of steps a) and a1) is selected from calcium chloride, lithium chloride, cerium chloride, Indium chloride, magnesium chloride, magnesium bromide, ammonium chloride, zinc chloride, boron trifluoride dietherate complex. The hypohalite according to step b1) is selected from sodium hypochlorite, sodium hypobromite, calcium hypochlorite and calcium hypobromite. The base according to step b1) is selected from alkali metal hydroxide, alkaline earth metal hydroxide, alkali metal carbonate, alkaline earth metal carbonate, and alkali metal bicarbonates. Preferred Components: The ammonia reagent is selected from ammonium carbonate ((NH3)2CO3), methanamide (HCONH2), urea (NH2CONH2) and formamide (HCOONH2). The solvent of steps a) and a1) is selected from alcohol solvents, aliphatic or alicyclic hydrocarbon solvents, halogenated hydrocarbon solvents, and/or aromatic hydrocarbon solvents. The solvent according to step b1) is selected from water, alcohol, aliphatic or alicyclic hydrocarbon, halogenated hydrocarbon and/or aromatic hydrocarbon. ACTIVITY - Anticonvulsant; Analgesic; Tranquilizer. No biological data given.    MECHANISM OF ACTION - L-Glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) activator; gamma -Aminobutyric acid (GABA) production stimulator.    EXAMPLE - 50 g (S)-3-(2-ethoxy-2-oxoethyl)-5-methylhexanoic acid, was dissolved in 600 ml methanol. 38 g Calcium chloride was added to mixture and pressurized with dry ammonia (NH3) gas in an auto clave vessel. The reaction mass was heated to 55-60 degrees C for 10-12 hours. After completion of the reaction, the reaction mass was distilled at 45 degrees C. 175 ml Water was added to the solid suspension and pH was adjusted to 3 by adding 20 ml concentrated hydrochloric acid (HCl) solution at 5 degrees C under stirring. The solid mass was stirred at 0-5 degrees C for 2-3 hours. After work up, (R)(-)-3-(carbamoylmethyl)-5-methylhexanoic acid (II) (39 g, yield 90%) was obtained. 15 g Compound (II), was charged into 21 ml water under stirring and cooled to 10 degrees C. 21.9 g Sodium hydroxide solution was added to the mixture at 10 degrees C. 52.2 g Sodium hypochlorite was added to the mixture and stirred at 10 degrees C for 10 minutes. The mixture was heated to 47 degrees C and stirred for 1.5-2 hours. After the completion of reaction, the reaction mass was cooled to 20 degrees C, and pH was adjusted to 2.5 by adding 30 ml concentrated hydrochloric acid. 10 ml Sodium hydroxide solution was added to the reaction mass to adjust the pH to 5.5 under stirring at 20 degrees C. After work up, pregabalin (10.53 g, yield 83%) was obtained. 10 g Crude pregabalin, was charged into a 9.5 ml mixture of isopropanol:water of 0.4:0.6 ratio, and stirred at room temperature. 0.25 g Sodium hydroxide, was added to mixture and stirred at 75 degrees C for 4 hours under stirring. The mixture was filtered over 0.45 micron filter paper at 75 degrees C and washed with 5 ml mixture of isopropanol:water of 0.4:0.6 and dried under vacuum to give purified pregabalin (7.6 g, yield 76%) having purity of 99.91%.