| abstract |
The invention relates to a process for the industrial scale synthesis of vinyl and isopropenyl chloroformates and thiochloroformates. According to the invention, phosgene or thiophosgene is reacted, at between 20 DEG and 70 DEG C., with a mercury salt XHg(CH2CRO), in which X=Cl or -CH2CRO, where R=H or CH3, in the presence of a solvent or a mixture of solvents having a dielectric constant greater than 10. The process can also be carried out using a mixture of the above solvents with a solvent which is not effective by itself (solvent of low polarity) but which is inexpensive. The yields achieved can exceed 90%. |