Electrochemical reductive cleavage from polyenes and carotenoids

Abstract

Cathodic cleavage of acetate from vitamin A acetate (1) and crustaxanthin tetra-acetate (8) igves novel and convenient routes to, respectrively, axerophtene (3) and 3,4,3′,4′-tetradehydro-βcarotene (10); these hydrocarbons are sensitive and have hitherto been obtained with difficulty.