| abstract |
A process for preparing a trifluoromethylphenol and trifluoromethylphenyl benzyl ether is described. It comprises heating a trifluoromethylhalobenzene with a sodium benzylate to form a trifluoromethylphenyl benzyl ether of the formulan wherein R and R 1 when taken individually are C,-C 3 alkyl, methoxy or nitro and when taken together and occupying adjacent carbon atoms in the phenyl ring, methylenedioxy, and n and m taken individually are 0 or 1, and optionally hydrogenolysing the trifluoromethylphenyl benzyl ether to give the corresponding ether. The trifluoromethylphenyl benzyl ethers are new compounds. |