Carboxylic acid ester, use of the same, and method for producing the same

Abstract

The present invention provides a process for producing a novel compound, i.e., α-chloromethoxycarboxylic acid ester represented by General Formula (1): (CF3)2C(OCH2Cl)COOR, wherein R is a hydrocarbon group which may be substituted with at least one atom selected from the group consisting of halogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur atoms, comprising reacting an α-methoxycarboxylic acid ester represented by General Formula (2): (CF3)2C(OCH3)COOR, wherein R is as defined above, with molecular chlorine; and a process for producing 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoroisopropyl fluoromethyl ether represented by a chemical formula (CF3)2CH(OCH2F), comprising fluorinating and decarboxylating the α-chloromethoxycarboxylic acid ester. According to the present invention, 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoroisopropyl fluoromethyl ether (sevoflurane), which is known as a compound having an anesthetic property, can be produced efficiently and at a low cost.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.