PROCESS FOR MAKING ARYL ALKYL SULFOXIDES FROM ALKYL ALUMINUM HALIDES AND ARYL SULFONIC ACID HALIDES

摘要

Aryl sulphoxides of the general formula R.SO.R1 in which R is an aromatic hydrocarbon radical and R1 is an aliphatic, cycloaliphatic, araliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbon radical or mixtures of such compounds are prepared by reacting a compound of formula R1nAlX3- n in which n is 1-3 and X is a halogen, or a mixture of such compounds, with an aromatic suphonic acid chloride and hydrolysing the resultant reaction mixture after dilution with an organic solvent to decompose the aluminium oxyhalide formed as by-product. The reaction takes place as follows when ethyl aluminium dichloride is used as starting material:- FORM:1062405/C2/1 FORM:1062405/C2/2 If desired the process may be carried out in the presence or absence of solvents, e.g. n-hexane, benzine, cyclohexane and methylene chloride. Preferably 2 mols of the aluminium alkyl compound are used per mol of sulphonic acid chloride and if desired the reaction may be carried out in two stages using one mol of the same or different aluminium alkyl compound in each stage. Examples are given of the preparation of ethyl phenyl sulphoxide, ethyl ptolyl sulphoxide and n-hexyl phenyl sulphoxide.