Carbonates of 2, 2-dialkyl-1, 3-diols, thermally stable by themselves, can be decomposed in guod yield to 3, ll-tiialk! lilsctaiies atid carbon dioxide by heating in the presence of a basic catalyst, such as potassium cyanide or potassiuni carbonate. Twenty bases of various types were investigated as catalysts. If there is a hydrogen atom on the carbon atom between the cnrl~ inol groups of the l, a-diol, the carbonate ester decomposes principally to an allylic ...
