the separated oil is shaken out with 2 u00d7 1 liter of benzene and the benzene solution is dried above sodium sulphate when the benzene is distilled off 195 g 97 4 of m phenoxy benzyl alcohol is obtained the purity of which is more than 95 determined by gas chromatography to a solution of 200 g of m phenoxy benzyl alcohol in 1 liter of dry chloroform 2 ml of pyridine are added and a solution of 142 8 g thionyl chloride in 150 ml of chloroform is added dropwise under cooling with ice water when the addition is completed the cooling is terminated and the solution is allowed to warm up to room temperature under stirring and the temperature is maintained under stirring until the vigorous gas evolution ceases the mixture is then boiled under stirring until the gas evolution ceases completely the solution is then poured into 2 liters of cold water the chloroform layer is separated and the aqueous layer is shaken out in 400 ml of chloroform the combined chloroform solutions are washed once with water and dried above sodium sulphate the drying agent is filtered off and chloroform is distilled off thus 210 g 96 of.