Process for the preparation of fluorinated benzoic acids

Abstract

A process for the preparation of 2-chloro-4,5-difluorobenzoic acid and 2,4,5-trifluorobenzoic acid as well as synthetic intermediates useful in and prepared according thereto, comprising reacting a nitrobenzene having the formula ##STR1## wherein X is chloro or fluoro, with an appropriate carbanion to form a compound having the formula ##STR2## wherein one of Y and Z is chloro and the other is nitro, and R is a radical selected from the group consisting of --CCl.sub.3, --CH.sub.2 NO.sub.2, --CH(NO.sub.2)R.sup.1, --CH(CO.sub.2 R.sup.1).sub.2, --CH(C(O)R.sup.2).sub.2, --CH(CN)CO.sub.2 R.sup.1, --CH(CO.sub.2 R.sup.1)COR.sup.2 and --COR.sup.2 where R.sup.1 is alkyl or arylalkyl and R.sup.2 is alkyl, aryl or arylalkyl and, where appearing more than once in such a radical, R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 may be the same or different at each occurrence.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.