Facile generation of alkenes and dienes from tosylates

Article abstract of DOI:10.1055/s-2003-40210

Several aldol products resulting from Evans aldol reactions were converted to primary alcohols. After conversion to the corresponding tosylates, heating with NaI and DBU in dimethoxyethane (glyme) effected clean elimination to the terminal olefin. This simple one-pot procedure was applied to other tosylates and a tosylate derived from a homoallylic alcohol. The latter gave rise to a diene.