The dehydration of 1‐o‐tolyl‐2.2‐diphenyl ethylene glycol

Abstract It has been previously found that the o ‐tolyl group exerts an unusual influence in certain reactions. As a further step in the study of the properties of the o ‐tolyl group, the dehydration of l‐ o ‐tolyl‐2.2‐diphenyl ethylene glycol has been carried out and the results compared with the dehydrations of the isomeric o ‐tolylhydrobenzoin (α‐form) and phenylhydrobenzoin. The fact emerges that when the mechanismus of dehydration are compared, there is a strong similarity between the course of dehydrations of the three glycols. The presence of the o‐tolyl group, therefore, in this case does not seem to exert any undue influence. A series of glycols has been prepared from ethyl o ‐tolylglycollate, and the results of the dehydration of these will be compared and discussed in due course.