PRODUCTION OF HALOGENATED ETHYLBENZENE

PURPOSE:To readily and economically obtain the subject substance by reacting 2-chlorobenzaldehyde with an alkylsulfonium salt, etc., to provide 2-chlorostyrene oxide, adding hydrogen halide thereto and subsequently carrying out halogenation, etc. CONSTITUTION:2-Chlorobenzaldehyde is reacted with an alkylsulfonium salt or alkylsulfoxoinium salt at 50-100 deg.C to provide 2-chlorostyrene oxide, which is then subjected to addition reaction with hydrochloric, bromic acid, etc., in an inert solvent, such as benzene, at 0-50 deg.C to afford a compound expressed by formula I. The resultant compound is then halogenated or reacted with a compound expressed by the formula R1X (R1 is mesyl or tosyl) to provide a compound expressed by formula II (R is halogen, mesyoxy or tosyloxy). The compounds expressed by formulas I and II are useful as a raw material for medicines, agricultural chemicals, high polymer compounds, chemicals, etc., and can be safely obtained with facilitated reaction and purification according to the above-mentioned method.