Article révisé par les pairs
Résumé : In order to examine the importance of Sommelet and Stevens rearrangement versus β‐elimination, the reaction of sodium amide in liquid ammonia on 1‐methyl‐benzylpiperidinium iodide was examined and found to give three isomeric tertiary bases: two of them resulting from a Sommelet rearrangement, the third one being formed in a Stevens rearrangement; no Hofmann β‐elimination was observed. The reaction of sodium amide on the same quaternary salt in refluxing xylene results in both Sommelet rearrangement and β‐elimination. Copyright © 1959 Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim