In order to obtain information concerning the reaction mechanism of the pyrolysis of a sulfoxide bearing an electron-withdrawing substituent on the β-position in the S-ethyl group of ethyl phenyl sulfoxide, 2-(substituted phenyl) ethyl aryl sulfoxides (1) and 2-cyanoethyl (substituted phenyl) sulfoxides (2) were pyrolyzed. The rate-enhancing effect of the β-phenyl group of 1 was small. The activation enthalpy and entropy of 1 were found to be 110 kJ ...
