TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preparation (claimed): Preparation of the compound (I) involves either:(A) process A: reacting the compound (I) (in which R 1is 1-4C (halo)alkyl, R 3, R 4and R 5are F, and R 6is Cl) with a reagent of formula NaOR 7to give the compound (I) (in which (in which R 1is 1-4C (halo)alkyl, R 3and R 5are F, R 4is OR 7and R 6is Cl);(B) process B: reacting an imidazole compound of formula (II) with N-chlorosuccinimide or molecular chlorine to give the compound (I) (in which R 1is 1-4C (halo)alkyl and R 6is Cl); or(C) process C: reacting a compound of formula (III) with reagent of formula (R 1b) 3Al in presence of transition metal catalyst.R 1a=1-4C (halo)alkyl;R 1b=1-4C alkyl. Preferred Definitions:    R 1=chloro, methyl or ethyl;    R 2=4-chlorophenyl;    R 3and R 4=fluoro or OR 7;    R 5=H or fluoro;    R 6=chloro;    R 7=methyl, ethyl, propargyl, 1-pyrrolidinylethyl, 3-5C allenyl or dimethylaminopropyl.    ACTIVITY - Fungicide; Cytostatic. 4-Week old tomato plants ( Alternaria solani) cv. Roter Gnom were treated with 4-chloro-5-(2,6-difluoro-4-methoxy-phenyl)-1-(4-methoxy-phenyl)-2-methyl-1H-imidazole (Ib) (test) (200 parts per million) in spray chamber. The test plants were inoculated by spraying them with a spore suspension two days after application. The test plants were incubated at 22/18 degrees C (day/night) and 95% relative humidity in greenhouse and the percentage leaf area covered by disease was assessed when an appropriate level of disease appears on untreated check plants (5-7 days after application). The test compound inhibit fungal infestation to at least 80%, while under the same conditions untreated control plants were infected by the phytopathogenic fungi to over 80%.    MECHANISM OF ACTION - None given.    ADMINISTRATION - Dosage of the compound (I) is 5 g to 2 kg (preferably 10 g to 1 kg, especially 20-600 g) of active ingredient/hectare. Oral dosage is 10-1000 mg. Administration is by parenteral, topical, intravenous, intramuscular, subcutaneous, transdermal, rectal, or by injection or inhalation routes.    SPECIFIC COMPOUNDS - 17 Compounds are specifically claimed as the imidazole derivatives (I), e.g. 4-chloro-5-(2,6-difluoro-4-methoxy-phenyl)-1-(4-methoxy-phenyl)-2-methyl-1H-imidazole (Ia), 2,4-dichloro-1-(4-chloro-phenyl)-5-(2,6-difluoro-4-methoxy-phenyl)-1H-imidazole, 2,4-dichloro-1-(4-chloro-phenyl)-5-(2,4-difluoro-6-methoxy-phenyl)-1H-imidazole, 4-chloro-1-(4-chloro-phenyl)-5-(4-ethoxy-2,6-difluoro-phenyl)-2-methyl-1H-imidazole, and 4-chloro-5-(2,6-difluoro-4-methoxy-phenyl)-1-(4-methoxy-phenyl)-2-methyl-1H-imidazole.    EXAMPLE - A mixture of 1-(4-chloro-phenyl)-2-methyl-5-(2,4,6-trifluoro-phenyl)-1H-imidazole (1.61 g), N-chlorosuccinimide (0.83 g) and chloroform (32 ml) was heated for 16 hours to 80 degrees C. Subsequently, the mixture is cooled to room temperature, Isolute HM-N(RTM: modified form of diatomaceous earth) was added to the reaction mixture and the chloroform was evaporated. The crude mixture was purified by chromatography column on silica gel, using mixture of heptane/ethyl acetate (4:1) as eluent to obtain 4-chloro-1-(4-chloro-phenyl)-2-methyl-5-(2,4,6-trifluoro-phenyl)-1H-imidazole (I'). A mixture of the imidazole (I') (0.4 g), sodium methoxide solution (0.48 ml; 0.18 M in methanol) and methanol (5 ml) was stirred for 16 hours at room temperature. The reaction mixture was then poured onto ice-cold acidified water. The aqueous solution was extracted twice with ethyl acetate; the combined organic layers were washed with brine, then dried over sodium sulfate, filtrated and concentrated under reduced pressure to obtain 4-chloro-5-(2,6-difluoro-4-methoxy-phenyl)-1-(4-methoxy-phenyl)-2-methyl-1H-imidazole (Yield: 0.304 g).