METHOD FOR PRODUCING IRON COMPLEXES AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING ESTER COMPOUNDS USING IRON COMPLEX

The invention provides a simple and high-yield method for producing an iron dinuclear complex which has, in its molecule, a structure having two iron atoms bonded to each other via one oxygen atom and a ligand structure containing a Schiff base; an ester compound production method which can produce an ester compound with a high yield by the transesterification of an alcohol compound with a carboxylate ester even in the case where the raw material alcohol has a tertiary hydroxyl group which is usually difficult to esterify by transesterification; and an ester compound production method which can produce by transesterification catalyzed by an iron complex a wholly esterified compound, i.e., can esterify all the hydroxyl groups, with a high yield even in the case where the alcohol compound has a plurality of hydroxyl groups. A method for producing an iron complex represented by the general formula (4) or (5) includes a step (I-1) of preparing a precursor solution by mixing in the presence of water an iron salt and a compound represented by the general formula (1), and a step (I-2) of mixing the precursor solution with a compound represented by the general formula (2) or (3). A method for producing an ester compound includes a step (IV) of transesterifying a carboxylate ester with an alcohol compound in the presence of the iron complex described above.