The solvent-free thermal dehydration of hexitols on zeolites.

Dehydration of galactitol, D-glucitol and D-mannitol at high temperature in the presence of molecular sieves without solvent under an argon atmosphere is described. Cyclodehydration products with retention or inversion of the configuration at asymmetric carbon atoms, were observed. Reaction of galactitol yielded racemic 1,4-anhydrogalactitol in a first step and then racemic 1,4:3,6-dianhydroiditol. Complete analytical separations of exhaustively O-acetylated reaction products were achieved by GC and structures were assigned using co-injection with standards.