Thermal decomposition of t-butyl(nitro)malononitrile; evidence for the generation of a t-butyl cation via facile carbon–carbon bond heterolysis
Abstract
The decomposition of t-butyl(nitro)malononitrile in dimethyl sulphoxide at 80 °C gives isobutene (65%) as a product arising from a t-butyl cation generated via carbon–carbon bond heterolysis which proceeds eleven times faster than the carbon–chlorine bond heterolysis of t-butyl chloride.