The pyrolysis of dinlethylethanolan~ine oxide was selected as a ineans of generating acetaldehyde at moderate temperatures from a nonvolatile and relatively no~lreactive precursor. The decomposition of trialkylamine oxides to olefin and dialkylhydroxyla~ui~~e (Cope reaction) is kno~vn to proceed in good yield via a cyclic intra~volecular transition state (I). The pyrolysis of some N,N-dimethyl-2-h)idrox)ic)icloall~yla1nine oxides has been reported (2). These give ...
