The present work deals with the inverse liquid-liquid (L-L) phase transfer (PT) catalysed synthesis of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2.4-D) by using 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) and chloroacetic acid (CAA), wherein the locale of the reaction is the aqueous phase. By varying the amount of NaOH used. the product can either be obtained as such in the organic phase or in the aqueous phase as sodium salt. On using stoichiometrically deficient quantity of NaOH and a low molecular weight quaternary salt, such as tetraethylammonium bromide (TEAB), the product can be obtained per se in the organic phase. The paper brings out the novelties vis-a-vis the mechanism and kinetics of inverse PT (IPT) catalysed synthesis of 2,4-D. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.