Process for producing ester compound

1. A method for producing an ester compound having non-heterocyclic groups, which comprises:

subjecting a carboxylic acid and an alcohol to a dehydration-condensation reaction with adding no solvent or adding a nonaqueous solvent into a reaction system, in a presence of an involatile acid catalyst;

then removing a residue of the acid catalyst without adding any solvent or in a nonaqueous solvent by bringing a weak basic substance into contact with the residual acid catalyst, forming a salt of the weak basic substance and the acid catalyst, and then filtering off the salt,

wherein the alcohol is represented by formula (9):

HO-(T 1 -O) n —H  (9),

wherein T 1 is an alkylene group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, and n is an integer of 1 to 5,

the carboxylic acid is represented by formula (2):

R 2 —COOH  (2),

wherein R 2 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 18 carbon atoms, an oxygen-atom-containing alkyl group, an alkenyl group, an alkynyl group, an aryl group, an aralkyl group, which may have a substituent,

wherein the substituent of the alkyl group or the alkenyl group is selected from the group consisting of a halogen atom, a haloalkyl group, alkoxy group, a haloalkoxy group, a thioalkoxy group, an acyl group, a substituted amino group, a carboxyl group, a cyano group, a nitrile group, and a nitro group, and

the substituent of the aryl group or the aralkyl group is selected from the group consisting of a halogen atom, an alkyl group, a haloalkyl group, an alkenyl group, an alkoxy group, a haloalkoxy group, a thioalkoxy group, an acyl group, a substituted amino group, a hydroxyl group, a cyano group, a carboxyl group, a nitrile group, and a nitro group, and

the ester compound obtained from the above alcohol of the formula (9) is a compound represented by a formula (10):

R 2 —COO-(T 1 -O) n —OC—R 2   (10),

wherein R 2 , T 1 , and n are the same as the above.

2. A method for producing an ester compound having non-heterocyclic groups, which comprises:

subjecting a carboxylic acid and an alcohol to a dehydration-condensation reaction with adding no solvent or adding a nonaqueous solvent into a reaction system, in a presence of an involatile acid catalyst;

then removing a residue of the acid catalyst without adding any solvent or in a nonaqueous solvent by bringing a weak basic substance into contact with the residual acid catalyst, forming a salt of the weak basic substance and the acid catalyst, and then filtering off the salt,

wherein the alcohol is represented by formula (1):

R 1 —OH  (1),

wherein R 1 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 18 carbon atoms, an oxygen-atom-containing alkyl group, an alkenyl group, an alkynyl group, an aryl group, or an aralkyl group, which may have a substituent,

wherein the substituent of the alkyl group, the alkenyl group, or the alkynyl group is selected from the group consisting of a halogen atom, a haloalkyl group, an alkoxy group, a haloalkoxy group, a thioalkoxy group, an acyl group, a substituted amino group, a hydroxyl group, a cyano group, a carboxyl group, a nitrile group, and a nitro group, and the substituent of the aryl group or the aralkyl group is selected from the group consisting of a halogen atom, an alkyl group, a haloalkyl group, an alkenyl group, an alkoxy group, a haloalkoxy group, a thioalkoxy group, an acyl group, a substituted amino group, a hydroxyl group, a cyano group, a carboxyl group, a nitrile group, and a nitro group,

the carboxylic acid represented by formula (11):

HOOC-T 2 -COOH  (11),

wherein T 2 is an alkylene group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms or an arylene group, which may have a substituent, wherein the substituent of the alkylene chain or the arylene group is selected from the group consisting of a halogen atom, a haloalkyl group, an alkoxy group, a haloalkoxy group, a thioalkoxy group, an acyl group, a substituted amino group, a hydroxyl group, a cyano group, a carboxyl group, a nitrile group, and a nitro group, and

the ester compound obtained from the above carboxylic acid is represented by formula (12):

R 1 —OOC-T 2 -COO—R 1   (12),

wherein R 1 and T 2 are the same as the above.

3. A method for producing an ester compound having non-heterocyclic groups, which comprises:

subjecting a carboxylic acid and an alcohol to a dehydration-condensation reaction with adding no solvent or adding a nonaqueous solvent into a reaction system, in a presence of an involatile acid catalyst;

then removing a residue of the acid catalyst without adding any solvent or in a nonaqueous solvent by bringing a weak basic substance into contact with the residual acid catalyst, forming a salt of the weak basic substance and the acid catalyst, and then filtering off the salt,

wherein the weak basic substance is 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undeca-7-ene or 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane.