IT ill IV the stereochemistry of the four isomeric dinitriles we also required the parent hydrocarbons III and IV and wish to describe their synthesis. The tetrabromide Ib was formed slowly but smoothly by heating the tetramesylate la with lithium bromide in methyl ethyl ketone under pressure. It is noteworthy that the corresponding tetraiodide could not be formed under analogous conditions using sodium iodide in refluxing acetone or methyl ...