The solvent-free thermal dehydration of hexitols on zeolites

Abstract A new alditol dehydration method at high temperatures, in the presence of molecular sieves without solvent in an argon atmosphere, is described. Investigations on tetritols have been carried out. Products arising after the intramolecular and intermolecular elimination of water, with retention or inversion of the configuration of asymmetric carbon atoms, were observed. Complete analytical separation of reaction products was achieved by means of GLC. The chemical structures of the compounds obtained were assigned using co-injection with standards, GLC–CIMS and GLC–EIMS analyses. Two intermolecular dehydration products of tetritols were isolated by HPLC and identified by 1 H and 13 C NMR spectroscopy.