Patent ID: 7563921

Claim:
A process for the preparation of a 2-cyanophenol compound of formula VII where R′ is C 1 -C 6 -alkyl or benzyl and R 3 , R 4 and R 5 are independently of one another selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, cyano, nitro, C 1 -C 6 -alkyl, C 3 -C 8 -cycloalkyl, C 1 -C 4 -haloalkyl, C 1 -C 4 -alkoxy, C 1 -C 4 -alkylthio, C 1 -C 4 -alkylsulfinyl, C 1 -C 4 -alkylsulfonyl, C 1 -C 4 -haloalkoxy, C 1 -C 4 -haloalkylthio, C 2 -C 6 -alkenyl, C 2 -C 6 -alkinyl, C 1 -C 4 -alkoxycarbonyl, amino, (C 1 -C 4 -alkyl)amino, di-(C 1 -C 4 -alkyl)amino, aminocarbonyl, (C 1 -C 4 -alkyl)aminocarbonyl and di-(C 1 -C 4 -alkyl)aminocarbonyl, comprising reacting a 2-methyl-3-nitro-phenylthioether of the formula VI where R′ is C 1 -C 6 -alkyl or benzyl and R 3 , R 4 and R 5 are as defined above, with an organic nitrite R—ONO, wherein R is alkyl, in the presence of a base.