ELUCIDATION OF THE MECHANISM OF ELIMINATION-REACTIONS WITH DEUTERIUM-LABELED COMPOUNDS

Deuterated substrates (with two adjacent asymmetric carbon atoms) can give some insight into the steric course of elimination reactions. The possible elucidation of the mechanism of syn-E2/anti-E2 elimination from the isomer distribution of 2-butenes and from their deuterium content is demonstrated by the demethoxylation reaction of d,l-erythro-2-methoxybutane-3-D1, 2-methoxybutane-2-D1 and 2-methoxybutane over gamma-alumina. The kinetic isotope effects and an increase in the number of E1 elimination products with increasing temperature have also been taken into consideration.