There has been considerable interest for some time in the mechanism of the thermal deazetation of substituted 1, 2-diaza-1-cyclobutenes because of the variety of possible decomposition pathways.'Aside from a stepwise process involving a biradical-like species residing in a minimum or at the saddle point on the potential surface, synchronous loss of nitrogen by a [2s (olefin)+ 2s (NAl,[Uolefin)+ 2s (N2) l,[2,(olefin)+ 2a (W) I, or [2,(olefin)+" ...