Abstract: A multi stage process for the conversion of 2-chloro-4-sulphotoluene (SCT) to 2-chloro-4-sulphobenzoic acid (SCUBA). Stage (a) comprises a process S1 for the selective side chain bromination of SCT to 2-chloro-4-sulpho-dibromotoluene (SCDBT) or 2-chloro-4-sulpho-bromotoluene (SCMBT) by contacting the starting material with bromine in chloroform or trichloroethane and irradiating the mixture with light that dissociates bromine. Subsequently, in stage (b), process S2, the product of S1 can be hydrolysed at elevated temperature after separation from the organic solvent to the corresponding alcohol (SCOL) or aldehyde (SCAB). In stage (c), the product of S2 can be oxidized to SCUBA either by oxidation with a peroxyacid, optionally generated in situ, provided that the aqueous solution has previously been stripped of bromide/bromine in process S3.

Abstract: It is desired to find an alternative way to produce benzophenones or substituted benzophenones which does so selectively and avoids the problems of previous methods that use, for example, large amounts of an aluminium chloride catalyst or nitric acid.In the invention process, a diphenyl methane starting material (DPM) in a hydrophobic phase is oxidized in a photolytic process by contact with an aqueous phase containing greater than 1 mole of HBr and at least 1.5 moles of H.sub.2 O.sub.2, both per mole of DPM, the radiation being capable of dissociating bromine to its radicals, and especially using light of wavelength 600 to 250 nm. Preferably, a reaction temperature of around 50.degree. to 65.degree. C., is used, the organic solvent comprising a suitably boiling chlorinated carbon or hydrocarbon. The H.sub.2 O.sub.2 is introduced progressively into the reaction mixture.