The mechanism of formaldehyde loss from the oxonium ions CH3CH2CH2CH
O+CH3 and CH3CH2CH2CH2+O
CH2
Abstract
In contrast to CH3CH2(CH3)CO+CH3 and (CH3)2CHCH
O+CH3, which in slow dissociations lose mainly CH3OH, metastable CH3CH2CH2CH
O+CH3 exples predominantly CH2O by isomerising to CH3CH2CH2CH2+O
CH2, probably via two 1,2-H shifts and a subsequent 1,5-H shift; CH3CH2CH2+O
CH2 undergoes limited interconversion with CH3+CHCH2CH2OCH3, prior to CH2O elimination, via a 1,5-H shift.