GB712478A - Improvements in or relating to chlorinated ethers - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention comprises chlorinated anisoles of the general formula ROCH3-pClp, where R is a benzene nucleus substituted by one or more chlorine atoms and p is 2 or 3. It comprises also the preparation of chlorinated anisoles of the general formula ROCH3-nCln, where R is as above and n is 1, 2 or 3 by treating a compound of the formula ROCH3-mClm, where m is 0, 1 or 2, with chlorine in the liquid phase at a temperature of 160 DEG C. to 260 DEG C., preferably at 180 DEG -200 DEG C., suitably in the presence of phosphorus pentachloride, phosphorus trichloride or sulphur monochloride as a catalyst. The chlorination is preferably carried out using phosphorus pentachloride as a catalyst at 195-200 DEG C. The compounds of the formula ROCH3-mClm used as starting materials may be prepared by chlorination of the unsubstituted or lower chlorinated benzene nucleus of an appropriate anisole under conditions favouring nuclear chlorination as a stage preceding and continuous with the side-chain chlorination. In examples there are prepared by the above process 4-chlorophenoxymethyl chloride; 4-chlorophenoxymethylene dichloride; 4-chlorophenoxymetho-trichloride; 2 : 4-dichlorophenoxymethyl chloride; 2 : 4 - dichlorophenoxymethylene dichloride; 2 : 4 - dichlorophenoxymethotrichloride; 2 : 5 - dichlorophenoxymethyl chloride; 2 : 4 : 6 - trichlorophenoxymethyl chloride; 2 : 4 : 6 - trichlorophenoxymetho - trichloride; pentachlorophenoxymethyl chloride and pentachlorophenoxymethotrichloride. Specification 647,215 is referred to.