A new method for the preparation of olefins from vicinal diols

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0040-4039(99)00675-9

A novel method is reported for the transformation of vicinal diols to olefins. This methodology consists in the conversion of iodothiocarbonates such as 16 to olefin 17 with phenyl lithium in excellent yield. Compounds 7 and 12 were prepared by this methodology in order to determine if they would be recognized by the enzymes, 5-lipoxygenase and 15-lipoxygenase, respectively.