Di-and triquaternary ethylenes (5, 12 and 7, 19, Scheme I) have been synthesized by dehydration of sec-and tert-neopentyl alcohols (4, 11 and 6, 18) without rearrangement. It is thought that steric factors determine the structures of the products. The intermediate imines 2 and 14, from the reaction of nitriles 1 and 13 with tC, H&i, may be hydrolyzed only in the first case to ketones (3). More highly substituted ketones (10 and 16) were obhned by the ...
