PROCESS FOR THE PREPARATION OF 4-CHLORO-2-METHYL-5-NITRO-PHENOL

摘要

Process for the preparation of 4-chloro-2-methyl-5-nitrophenol (I)

characterised in that a 4-chloro-2-methylphenylsulphonate of the formula (II)

in which R denotes one of the radicals methyl, ethyl, trifluoromethyl, phenyl or tolyl, is first nitrated in the 5-position and then the resulting 4-chloro-2-methyl-5-nitrophenylsulphonate is converted into the compound of the formula (I) by acidic or alkaline elimination of the sulphonyl radical. The process starts from an industrially available and inexpensive starting material and enables the preparation of isomerically pure (I) in very good yield.