TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The metal catalyst comprises Raney nickel (preferred) or palladium. The alkali metal hydroxide comprises sodium hydroxide (preferred) or potassium hydroxide.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Process: In the step (f), the crude (V) is recrystallized by using: an organic solvent comprising an alcoholic solvent that includes methanol, ethanol, n-propanol, iso-propanol or n-butanol, a hydrocarbon solvent that includes toluene, hexane, heptane or cyclohexane, and/or a halogenated hydrocarbon solvent that includes methylene chloride or chloroform; or a single solvent including methanol, or a combination of two solvents including toluene-hexane or methylene chloride-hexane. Preferred Components: In the step (c), a molar ratio of sodium nitrite with respect to (IV) is 1-1.5. In the step (d), the molar ratio of cuprous chloride with respect to (IV) is 1-1.5. The alcohol comprises methanol, n-butanol (both preferred), ethanol, n-propanol or isopropanol. The hydrocarbon used in step (d) is toluene (preferred) or xylene. The amount of n-butanol used in step (g) with respect to (V) is 3-6 volumes. EXAMPLE - Aqueous sodium hydroxide solution (59 g of sodium hydroxide in 64 ml of water) was added to a slurry of 160 g 5-acetyl-3-chloroiminodibenzyl in 640 ml n-butanol, and the mixture was heated to 105-110 degrees C for 6 hours in a nitrogen atmosphere. Then 800 ml water was added to the reaction mixture and stirred for 30 minutes. Then an aqueous layer was separated and washed with n-butanol, and the washings were collected and combined with the organic layer. The formed combined organic layer was then concentrated under vacuum at 55-60 degrees C and trapped n-butanol was co-evaporated with 240 ml water to form a residue. Then 320 ml water was added to the residue and stirred for 30 minutes. Then obtained solid was filtered out, washed with water and dried at 55-60 degrees C to obtain crude 3-chloroiminodibenzyl having gas chromatography (GC) purity of 98.85%. The crude 3-chloroiminodibenzyl was then charcoalized in 768 ml methanol at 50-55 degrees C. The methanolic solution was then concentrated to low volume and the product was crystallized out by adding 640 ml water. The solid was filtered out, washed with water and dried under vacuum at 55-60 degrees C to obtain 3-chloro-10,11-dihydro-5H-dibenzo(b,f)azepine (yield 125 g).