Process for directed chlorination of alkylbenzenes

Abstract

A process for the production of nuclear chlorinated alkylbenzenes comprises reacting, in the liquid phase, alkylbenzene with chlorine in the presence of a Lewis acid catalyst and a co-catalyst comprising a thianthrene compound or mixture of thianthrene compounds characterized by the formula: ##STR1## where n is 0 to 1, y is an electron-withdrawing substituent or an electron-donating substituent and each x is hydrogen, an electron-withdrawing substituent or an electron-donating substituent with the proviso that the total number of electron-withdrawing substituents present at the x and y positions is at least one and no more than seven; the total number of electron-donating substituents is at least one and no more than four; no more than three electron-donating substituents are present at the peripositions; and when electron-withdrawing substituents are present at each of the peri-positions, electron-donating substituents are present at each of the 2, 3, 7 and 8 positions.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.