Brandenberg and Galat2 have recently recorded a new method for the preparation of olefins by the pyrolysis of equimolar amounts of boric acid and an alcohol. In the cases studied, excellent yields were obtained. The mechanism of the reaction was stated to involve two steps:(1) the formation of the orthoborate ester ((RO) aB); and (2) the decomposition of this ester into olefin and boric acid. The authors pointed out that this reaction was analogous ...
