Patent ID: 6841695

Claim:
A process for preparing a dithioester, comprising: reacting a) a benzenedithiocarboxylic acid or b) a benzenedithiocarboxylic salt or c) a mixture of a) and b) represented by formula (I) wherein R 1 is a group having from 1 to 20 carbon atoms, m is an integer from 1 to 6, and M is a hydrogen atom, an alkali metal ion, an ammonium ion or a group having an alkaline earth metal ion with a (i) vinyl compound of formula (II) wherein R 2 , R 3 , R 4 and R 5 are each independently hydrogen or a radical having from 1 to 20 carbon atoms or (ii) an alkyl compound which has a leaving group and is represented by formula (III) wherein R 6 R 7 and R 8 are each independently hydrogen or a radical having from 1 to 20 carbon atoms, and X is a leaving group or iii) a mixture of i) and ii) in a biphasic system; wherein one phase of said biphasic system comprises water, wherein the other phase of said biphasic system is an organic phase; and wherein a weight ratio of said phase comprising water to said organic phase is from 95:5 to 5:95.