Ester pyrolysis in organic chemistry

Organic chemistry

Organic chemistry is a subdiscipline within chemistry involving the scientific study of the structure, properties, composition, reactions, and preparation of carbon-based compounds, hydrocarbons, and their derivatives...

 is a vacuum pyrolysis reaction converting ester

Ester

Esters are chemical compounds derived by reacting an oxoacid with a hydroxyl compound such as an alcohol or phenol. Esters are usually derived from an inorganic acid or organic acid in which at least one -OH group is replaced by an -O-alkyl group, and most commonly from carboxylic acids and...

s containing a β-hydrogen atom into the corresponding carboxylic acid

Carboxylic acid

Carboxylic acids are organic acids characterized by the presence of at least one carboxyl group. The general formula of a carboxylic acid is R-COOH, where R is some monovalent functional group...

 and the alkene

Alkene

In organic chemistry, an alkene, olefin, or olefine is an unsaturated chemical compound containing at least one carbon-to-carbon double bond...

. The reaction is an Ei elimination.

Examples are the synthesis of acrylic acid

Acrylic acid

Acrylic acid is an organic compound with the formula CH2=CHCO2H. It is the simplest unsaturated carboxylic acid, consisting of a vinyl group connected directly to a carboxylic acid terminus. This colorless liquid has a characteristic acrid or tart smell. It is miscible with water, alcohols,...

 from ethyl acrylate

Ethyl acrylate

Ethyl acrylate is an organic compound primarily used in the preparation of various polymers. It is a clear liquid with an acrid penetrating odor. The human nose is capable of detecting this odor at a thousand times lower concentration than is considered harmful if continuously exposed for some...

 at 590°C , the synthesis of 1,4-pentadiene from 1,5-pentanediol diacetate at 575°C or the construction of a cyclobutene

Cyclobutene

Cyclobutene is a cycloalkene. It is used in the chemical industry as a monomer for synthesis of some polymers and for a range of chemical syntheses.- External links :*...

framework at 700°C