para-Selective chlorination of cresols and m-xylenol using sulfuryl chloride in the presence of poly(alkylene sulfide)s

Chlorination of o-cresol, m-cresol, and m-xylenol using sulfuryl chloride in the presence of a range of poly(alkylene sulfide)s and a Lewis acid (aluminum or ferric chloride) has been studied. The sulfur containing catalysts used led to the production of para-chlorophenols in high yields and higher para/ortho ratios than for reactions in the absence of such poly(alkylene sulfide)s. The effectiveness of the polymers was found to be dependent on the length of the spacer groups between the sulfur atoms. For example, polymers with shorter spacers provided high yields of 4-chloro-o-cresol (ca. 97%), while polymers with at least one longer spacer provided high yields of both 4-chloro-m-cresol (up to 94.6%) and 4-chloro-m-xylenol (up to 97.6%).