PRODUCTION OF M-ACETOXYBENZAL CHLORIDE

PURPOSE:To obtain the titled compound useful as an intermediate for agricultural chemicals, drugs and dye and a gloss agent for plating in high purity and high yield, by chlorinating m-acetoxytoluene with chlorine in carbon tetrachloride as a solvent at a fixed temperature under ultraviolet light irradiation. CONSTITUTION:m-Acetoxytoluene is chlorinated with chlorine in a carbon tetrachloride solvent under irradiation of ultraviolet light (preferably indium lamp obtained by adding metal indium to mercury vapor lump) at 60-85 deg.C (preferably 70 deg.C- boiling point of the mixture) to produce m-acetoxybenzal chloride. By this method, since a radical initiation catalyst is not used, removal operation thereof is not required and the titled compound is hydrolyzed to give m- hydroxybenzaldehyde important as industrial chemicals in high purity and in high yield.