Synthesis of chemicals from the same starting material wherein more than one step involving complex reactions are involved can be engineered to produce selectively the desired product by minimising both the by-product formation and separation stages. Several products of industrial importance can be produced from the same starting material by choosing proper conditions and nature and number of phases. The reduction of p-chloronitrobenzene with sodium sulphide was investigated in detail under different modes of phase transfer catalysis (PTC), such as liquid-liquid (L-L), liquid-solid (L-S reaction), and liquid-liquid-liquid (L-L-L) processes. This selectivity engineered PTC reaction has been investigated from mechanistic viewpoint and the rationale of selectivity is delineated. (C) 2003 Elsevier'Science B.V. All rights reserved.