Although chloromethylation'of mildly activated aromatic compounds is a valuable synthetic tool, it has had very limited application in the alkylation of phenols and phenolic acetates. In general, phenols are so highly activated that the reaction cannot be controlled and diarylniethanes as well as polymers result. Bromomethylation has been effected under the same general conditions as chloromethylation but in even poorer yields. 2