A method for preparing a fluorinated vinyl ether compound comprising reacting a fluorinated ether substrate having (i) a hydrogen atom on a carbon atom that is alpha to an etheric oxygen and (ii) a fluorine atom on a carbon atom that is beta to the etheric oxygen, with an organolithium base to provide a reaction product comprising a fluorinated vinyl ether compound.
A process for the manufacture of the anaesthetic compound CHF.sub.2 --O--CHF--CHF.sub.2 which comprises the reduction of a mono, di- or tri-chlorinated or brominated derivative of the above compound, or the replacement by fluorine of one or more hydrogen, chlorine or bromine atoms in a less-fluorinated derivative of the above compound.