Patent ID: 8471013

Claim:
A process for reacting a cyanophenol derivative and an aromatic substrate, wherein the aromatic substrate is selected from the group consisting of mono- and poly-substituted pyridine, pyrimidine and phenyl groups, each substituted with a halogen, under phenolate forming conditions comprising the following steps: a) reacting a cyanophenol derivative with a base in a polar organic solvent to obtain a phenolate salt, wherein water is removed from the reaction mixture during the reaction, b) adding the aromatic substrate to the reaction mixture comprising the phenolate salt obtained in step (a), c) heating the reaction mixture of step (b) to a temperature in the range of 80° to 130° C. for 2 to 7 hours to obtain a phenoxy substituted aromatic substrate, d) removing the solvent from the mixture of step (c) comprising the phenoxy substituted aromatic substrate.