PROCESS FOR PRODUCING HYDROXY- AND/OR HALOGENO-SUBSTITUTED TOLUENE DERIVATIVES

Hydroxy and/or bromine chlorine or lupine substd. toluene derivs. of formula (I) are prepd. from amine substd. cpds. of formula (II) via diasotization. Diasotization and halogen substraction reactions occur simultaneously, when aq. rodium-nitrite soln. is added to a soln. contg. (11), a hydrogen halide and a copper(11)salt catalyst, at 50-100 deg.C. - For the prepn. of hydroxy substd. cpds. (1), copper(11)-salt catalyst acid iner extracting solvent (pref. benzene or toluene) is added to the diazotising reaction mix. Reaction heat produced by digesting the diazonium salt is removed by refluxing the reaction mix. R = hydrogen or fluorine atom, R1 = hydrogen, bromine, fluorine atoms or hydroxy gp., R2 = R1, R3 = hydrogen, bromine, chlorine, fluorine atoms ot hydroxy gp. R4 = R5 = hydrogen as chlorine R6-R8 = hydrogen or amino-gp. Proviso is that on of R1, R2 and R3 must be a bromine, fluorine atom or a hydroxy gp. and that one of R5, R6, and R7 must be an amino gp.