Chloromethylation of Meta Xylene by Phase Transfer Catalysis

Abstract

The chloromethylation of m-xylene has been improved by using quaternary ammonium salts as phase transfer catalyst (PTC). The results obtained during chloromethylation by using quaternary ammonium salts have been optimized to give optimal values of (CH2O)/(m-xylene) = 2 at 90 min and 80 °C. This optimization gives relatively high yields of mono and di m-xylene. All the reaction products have been characterized by IR and Mass spectroscopy coupled to gas chromatography. The best catalyst was found to be C6H3(CH3)2(CH2N + (CH3)3)Cl with an optimal concentration of 0.07 mol.