Dehydration of secondary alcohols via thermolysis of in situ generated alkyl diphenyl phosphates: An inexpensive and environmentally compatible method for the preparation of alkenes

Article abstract of DOI:10.1055/s-1995-4084

Secondary alcohols are converted into diphenyl phosphate esters by the action of triphenyl phosphate or diphenyl phosphorochloridate in high-boiling, water-miscible solvents in the presence of base. The alkyl diphenyl phosphates undergo thermolysis to afford high yields of alkenes which distill from the reaction mixtures. Purification of the products is achieved by extraction with dilute sulfuric acid which removes traces of solvent and base that may have codistilled. The ratios of 2- (14) and 3-menthene (15), obtained from menthol (13) and neomenthol (16), and the formation of rearranged alkenes by 1,2-shifts from 3, 6, and 3,3-dimethylbutan-2-ol are consistent with ionic intermediates of the elimination reaction. The novel dehydration method offers distinct and important advantages over the existing methods.