Fluorinated carboxylic acid esters of phosphono- and phosphinocarboxylic acids containing hydroxyl and/or mercapto groups, a method for their preparation, and their use

Fluorinated carboxylic acid esters of phosphono- or phosphinocarboxylic acids containing hydroxyl and/or mercapto groups, of general formula (I) ##STR7## where:

• R.sup.1 is a hydroxyl group, a methyl group, an ethyl group or a phenyl radical,
• R.sub.F is a linear or branched fluoroalkyl radical with 1 to 18 carbon atoms, or a fluorinated branched or linear monomeric ether or polyether with 1 to 18 carbon atoms,
• R.sub.H is a linear or branched alkyl radical with 1 to 10 carbon atoms,
• R is a hydroxyl or a mercapto group,
• X represents a linear or branched alkylene radical with 1 to 20 carbon atoms, or a linear or branched alkylene radical with 1 to 20 carbon atoms and with one or more substituent R groups, where R has the same meaning as above,
• Y represents a ##STR8## Z represents a linear or branched alkanetriyl radical (trivalent hydrocarbon radical) with 1 to 20 carbon atoms, or a linear or branched alkanetriyl radical with 1 to 20 carbon atoms with one or more substituent groups of structure --COR.sup.2, or a linear or branched alkanetriyl radical with 1 to 20 carbon atoms with one or more substituent groups of structure --PO.sub.2 HR.sup.1, where R.sup.1 has the same meaning as above,
• m is 0 or 1,
• n is an integer from 0 to 6, and
• R.sup.2 represents a hydroxyl radical, or a radical of structure ##STR9## or a radical of structure O--X--R, or a linear or branched alkoxy radical with 1 to 30 carbon atoms, where n, m, R.sub.H, R.sub.F,
• R, X and Y have the same meaning as above, and their salts.