The solvent-free thermal dehydration of tetritols on zeolites

A new alditol dehydration method at high temperatures, in the presence of m olecular sieves without solvent in an argon atmosphere, is described. Inves tigations on tetritols have been carried out. Products arising after the in tramolecular and intermolecular elimination of water, with retention or inv ersion of the configuration of asymmetric carbon atoms, were observed. Comp lete analytical separation of reaction products was achieved by means of GL C. The chemical structures of the compounds obtained were assigned using co -injection with standards, GLC-CIMS and GLC-EIMS analyses. Two intermolecul ar dehydration products of tetritols were isolated by HPLC and identified b y H-1 and C-13 NMR spectroscopy. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.