Patent ID: 8536364

Claim:
A method for producing a sulfur-containing carboxylic acid ester represented by the following formula (3): wherein R 1 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms or an optionally substituted phenyl group, wherein the substituent thereof is an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms or an alkoxy group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, R 2 and R 3 independently represent a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms or an alkenyl group having 2 to 10 carbon atoms, or R 2 and R 3 together form an alkylene group, and R 4 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, the method comprising a reaction of, in the presence of an acid catalyst, an α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid ester represented by the following general formula (1): wherein R 1 , R 2 and R 3 have the same meanings as defined above, and the wavy line represents cis or trans configuration, with a thiocarboxylic acid represented by the following general formula (2): wherein R 4 has the same meaning as defined above), wherein the acid catalyst is at least one kind selected from the group consisting of a para-toluenesulfonic acid or a hydrate thereof; a pyridine salt of para-toluenesulfonic acid; naphthalenesulfonic acid or a hydrate thereof; methanesulfonic acid; camphorsulfonic acid or a hydrate thereof; sulfuric acid; acetic acid; trifluoroacetic acid; chloroacetic acid; and hydrochloric acid.