A process for the preparation of a disubstituted diaryloxybenzoheterodiazole compound having general formula (XII):






wherein:

Z represents a sulfur atom, an oxygen atom, a selenium atom; or a group NR6 wherein R6 is selected from linear or branched C1-C20 alkyl groups, or from optionally substituted aryl groups;
R2 and R3, identical or different, represent a hydrogen atom, provided that R1 does not represent a hydrogen atom; or R1, R2 and R3 are selected from linear or branched C1-C20 alkyl groups optionally containing heteroatoms, optionally substituted cycloalkyl groups, optionally substituted aryl groups, optionally substituted, linear or branched C1-C20 alkoxy groups, optionally substituted phenoxy groups, or a cyano group;
or R1 and R2, may optionally be bound together so as to form, together with carbon atoms to which R1 and R2 are bound, a saturated, unsaturated, or aromatic, cyclic or a polycyclic system containing from 3 to 14 carbon atoms, optionally containing one or more heteroatoms selected from oxygen, sulfur, nitrogen, silicon, phosphorus, or selenium;
or R2 and R3 may optionally be bound together so as to form, together with carbon atoms to which R2 and R3 are bound, a saturated, unsaturated, or aromatic, cyclic or a polycyclic system containing from 3 to 14 carbon atoms, saturated, unsaturated, or aromatic, optionally containing one or more heteroatoms selected from oxygen, sulfur, nitrogen, silicon, phosphorus, or selenium;


wherein Ra and Rb, which are different, represent a hydrogen atom; or are selected from linear or branched C1-C20 alkyl groups optionally containing heteroatoms, optionally substituted cycloalkyl groups, optionally substituted aryl groups, optionally substituted linear or branched C1-C20 alkoxy groups, optionally substituted phenoxy groups, —COORc groups wherein Rc is selected from linear or branched C1-C20 alkyl groups, —CON(Rc)2, wherein Rc has the same meanings described above, or —N(Rc)2 groups wherein Rc has the same meanings described above.