A process which can be used to produce an aromatic sulfide compound having the formula of (R.sub.4-n)(X.sub.n)(W)Ar--S--R' is provided. The process comprises contacting, in the presence of a surfactant, a halo-substituted aromatic compound in an aqueous solution with a salt of a mercaptan under conditions sufficient to produce the aromatic sulfide in which the halo-substituted aromatic compound and salt of mercaptan are each present in an amount effective to synthesize the aromatic sulfide wherein R is hydrogen or a hydrocarbyl radical, X is a halogen, n is a number from 0 to 3, W is a substituent, Ar is an aromatic ring, and R' is a hydrocarbyl radical.