Hoechst Aktiengesellschaft

Werner Becker

Peter Langeluddeke

Friedhelm Schwerdtle

Klaus H Kaiser

Helmut Nahm

Klaus Dehmer

Karl Rehn

Heinrich Leditschke

Substituted 4-phenoxy-phenols are prepared by adding the corresponding anilines in liquid or molten state together with aqueous sodium nitrite solution in equimolar amounts to excess HCl and introducing the diazonium chloride solution obtained into a boiling mixture of about half-concentrated H.sub.2 SO.sub.4 and an aromatic hydrocarbon.

Process for the preparation of 4-phenoxy-phenols

Compounds of the formula I ##SPC1## in which R represents hydrogen, halogen, alkyl having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, alkoxy and alkylthio having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, cyclohexyl, cyclopentyl, and phenyl, R.sup.1 represents hydrogen, halogen, alkyl having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, and alkenyl having 2 to 4 carbon atoms, X and Y each are oxygen or sulfur, R.sup.2 represents hydrogen, alkyl having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, alkoxyalkyl having 2 to 6 carbon atoms, alkyl-amino having 2 to 4 carbon atoms, or phenyl, R.sup.3 represents hydrogen or alkyl having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, R.sup.4 represents hydroxyl, --O-alkyl having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, --S-alkyl having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, --O-- alkenyl having 2 to 4 carbon atoms, --O-cyclohexyl, --O-cyclopentyl, a phenoxy or phenylthio radical optionally substituted once or twice with halogen; --NH.sub.2, --NH-alkyl having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, --N,N-dialkyl or ##EQU1## HAVING 1 TO 4 CARBON ATOMS IN EACH ALKYL GROUP, A --NH-phenyl radical substituted with halogen, --CF.sub.3, --OCF.sub.2 CF.sub.2 H, or --COOCH.sub.3, or --O-benzyl, or --NH-benzyl, or --S-benzyl, or --O-cat. wherein cat. stands for the cation of an inorganic or organic base, are valuable selective herbicides.

Herbicidal compositions

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Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany

Werner Becker