Catalytic regioselective chlorination of phenols in the presence of polysulfide polymer containing 1, 3, 4-thiadiazole unit

Abstract

Polymeric sulfides containing 1, 3, 4-thiadiazole unit with different spacer group length have been synthesized and established to be useful catalysts for the chlorination of phenol, o-cresol, m-cresol and m-xylenol using freshly distilled sulfuryl chloride in the presence of Lewis acid as a co-catalyst at room temperature. The yields of para-isomers and para/ortho ratios were higher compared to cases where no catalyst was used with most catalysts for most phenols even when a very low concentration of poly sulfide was used.