2,2,2-Trifluoroethanol → Ethyl 2,2,2-trifluoroethyl carbonate

In a flask (5-liter volume), 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol (800 g, 8.0 mol). ethyl chlorocarbonate (867 g, 8.0 mol) and diethyl ether (1000 ml) were charged. While the flask was cooled so that the reaction was carried out at -5° C. to 0° C., a 29.5% by weight aqueous solution of potassium hydroxide (1500 g) was added dropwise to the flask for 6 hours and the mixture was stirred for 12 hours at room temperature. The ether layer was separated, washed with water, dried and distilled to give ethyl 2,2,2-trifluoroethyl carbonate as a colorless liquid (960 g, yield 70%). The chemical structure of the produced compound was determined based on the IR and NMR absorbance spectra shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 respectively and the mass spectrometry spectrum (M/e=172).