Hydroxy compounds obtained from 2,2,3,3-tetrafluorooxethane and derivatives thereof

A compound selected from:

• a) a compound formula IIa)
• F(CH2CF2CF2O)nCH2CF2CH2OR1 (IIa)
• wherein n is an integer equal to or higher than 1 and R1 is a (CHR2CHR3O )m−R4 group, in which:
• R2 and R3 are both hydrogen or one is hydrogen and the other is methyl;
• m is 0 or an integer higher than 1;
• and
• R4 is selected from:
• hydrogen, with the proviso that, when m is 0, R4 is not hydrogen;
• a straight or branched, saturated or unsaturated C1-C36 hydrocarbon chain;
• a P(O)R5R6 group, in which R5 and R6 are, independently of each other, selected from hydroxy and —O−X+ groups, in which X+ is selected from Li+, Na+, K+, (NH3R′)+, (NH2R′R″)+ and (NHR′R″R′″) wherein R is H or a linear or branched C1-C22 alkyl group optionally containing one or more —OH groups, and R′, R″ and R′″, equal to or different from each other, are linear or branched C1-C22 alkyl groups optionally containing one or more —OH groups or optionally linked to each other to form N-heterocyclic groups;
• a COR7 group, in which R7 is a straight or branched, saturated or unsaturated C1-C36 hydrocarbon chain;
• a CONHR8 group, in which R8 is the same as R7 or R8 is a COR7 group, in which R7 is as defined above;
• and
• a CO—RA—CRH═CH2 group, wherein RH is hydrogen or a straight or branched, saturated or unsaturated C1-C34 hydrocarbon chain and RA is selected from the group consisting of
• (j) NH—RB—O—CO—,
• (jj) NH—RB—NHCOO—RB—OCO— and
• (jjj) RB—O—CO—;
• RB being a divalent group selected from the group consisting of a C1-C10 aliphatic group, a C5-C14 cycloaliphatic group;
• C6-C14 aromatic or C1-C10 aliphaticC6-C14 aromatic group;
• and
• b) a compound of formula (IIb)
• wherein:
• Rf is a group of formula F(CH2CF2CF2O)nCH2CF2CH2O(CHR2CHR3O ),m in which R2, R3, n and m are as defined above;
• Z is a polar group of formula —O−M+, wherein M is selected from hydrogen, a monovalent metal, an ammonium radical selected from NRaRbRcRd, wherein each of Ra, Rb, Rc and Rd is, independently, a hydrogen atom or a C1-C12 hydrocarbon group, optionally fluorinated, or a polar group of formula —O−)2M′2+, wherein M′ is a divalent metal, preferably an alkaline earth metal selected from Ca and Mg;
• and
• x is 3 or 4, with the proviso that:
• when x is 3, pf is an integer from 1 to 6, qz is 0 or an integer from 1 to 5 and pf+qz is 6 and
• when x is 4, pf is an integer from 1 to 8, qz is 0 or an integer from 1 to 7 and pf+qz is 8.

A process for preparing a hydroxy compound of formula (I):

• F(CH2CF2CF2O)nCH2CF2CH2OH (I)
• wherein n is an integer equal to or higher than 1, wherein the process comprises:
• a) ring-opening a 2,2,3,3-tetrafluorooxethane of formula (III)
• with a metal fluoride to provide a fluoroacyl compound of formula (IV)
• F(CH2CF2CF2)nCH2CF2COF (IV)
• wherein n is as defined above;
• b) reducing the fluoroacyl compound of formula (IV) to a hydroxy compound of formula (I).