The present invention is directed to methods for preparing a fluorosulfonate ester or a salt thereof, through a reaction of a dissolved sulfonyl fluoride (R.sub.FSO.sub.2F) with alkoxide anion (RO.sup.) optionally in the presence of an aprotic base (B), where R.sub.F is fluorine or a C.sub.1-C.sub.8 perfluoroalkyl group, and R is a primary alkyl or alkoxyalkyl. Alkoxide anion (RO.sup.) can be generated from a precursor such as an alcohol or silyl ester.

The present invention is directed to methods for preparing a fluorosulfonate ester or a salt thereof, through a reaction of a dissolved sulfonyl fluoride (R.sub.FSO.sub.2F) with alkoxide anion (RO.sup.) optionally in the presence of an aprotic base (B), where R.sub.F is fluorine or a C.sub.1-C.sub.8 perfluoroalkyl group, and R is a primary alkyl or alkoxyalkyl. Alkoxide anion (RO.sup.) can be generated from a precursor such as an alcohol or silyl ester.

Described herein are methods for the bromine-facilitated synthesis of fluoro-sulfur compounds, that include SF.sub.4, SF.sub.5Cl, SF.sub.5Br and SF.sub.6. The methods described herein generally require lower temperature and pressure, produce higher yields, require less time, do not use corrosive or costly reactants and solvents that are commonly used in the synthesis of the fluoro-sulfur compounds, and do not produce deleterious waste products when compared to previously-used methods.

The present arrangement provides compounds (I) A.sub.aM.sub.m(YO4).sub.yZ.sub.z(I) that are obtained from precursors of the constituent elements by a method having steps that can include dispersion of the precursors in a liquid support having one or more ionic liquids made up of a cation and an anion the electric charges of which balance out to give a suspension of the precursors in the liquid. The suspension is heated to a temperature of 25 to 380 C. and the ionic liquid and the inorganic oxide of formula (I) are separated from the reaction of the precursors.