Abstract: The stereochemistry of allylic oxidation by selenium dioxide of a number of olefins has been studied. Olefins were prepared mostly by the Wittig reaction; pure stereoisomers were obtained by glpc separation from those reactions giving mixtures. Isomerization with thiophenol-azobisisobutyronitrile was employed to enrich reaction mixtures in the usually less abundant trans isomers. The sequence of reactivity toward oxidation by selenium ...
