Preparation of alkenes by the thermal decomposition of alkyl acetates. Preliminary communication

The method of Whitmore and of Cramer and Mulligan, for preparing alkenes by the thermal decomposition of the acetates of alcohols has been applied to some alcohols with straight and branched carbon chains. The acetates of pentanol‐3 and heptanol‐l respectively afford pentene‐2 and heptene‐1. The acetate of 2: 4‐dimethylpentanol‐3 affords 2: 4‐dimethylpentene‐2 and the acetate of 2: 4: 4′‐trimethylpentanol‐3 affords 2:4: 4‐trimethylpentene‐2. In these reactions no migration of the double bond occurs and no modification of the carbon skeleton is involved.