Abstract: An improved process for chlorination of sugars produces chlorodeoxy derivatives, in particular the chlorination of sucrose-6-esters to produce sucralose (4,1?,6?-trichloro-4,1?,6?-trideoxy galactosucrose), with thionyl chloride and N,N-dimethyl formamide (DMF) at the ration of about 1 molar equivalent of thionyl chloride for every molar equivalent of free hydroxyl group.