Sevoflurane → Sevoflurane

The steps of combining the crude sevoflurane with water in an amount sufficient to produce a multiphase mixture comprising an aqueous phase and a sevoflurane phase, contacting the aqueous phase and the sevoflurane phase with each other under conditions and for a time sufficient to extract at least a portion of the HFIP from the sevoflurane phase into the aqueous phase, and separating the phases of the multiphase mixture without fractional distillation, may, if necessary, be repeated. Purified sevoflurane comprising an acceptable amount of HFIP is then isolated. The removal of HFIP from the crude sevoflurane occurs without contacting the crude sevoflurane with an aqueous basic solution.