Abstract: The invention is a process for using certain electrogenerated bases in reactions such as acetoacetic ester condensations wherein an azobenzene probase is electro-reduced to produce an electrogenerated base, acetic ester is deprotonated by electrogenerated base to produce an anion, and the anion is condensed with acetic ester to produce acetoacetic ester condensation product; the probase being more easily electro-reducible than the acetic ester and producing an electrogenerated base strong enough to deprotonate the acetic ester which is sufficiently acidic to permit such deprotonation. The probase can be regenerated, either directly or indirectly, by anodic oxidation to probase making the reaction catalytic.

Abstract: Dehydrohalogenation-rearrangement of 1,1-bis(4-oxy-substituted aryl)-2-haloethanes to yield 4,4'-dioxysubstituted stilbenes is effected by heating an acidic reaction medium comprising the 1,1-bis(4-oxy-substituted aryl)-2-haloethane dissolved in a solution of an aliphatic carboxylic acid and a carboxylic acid salt. The process is particularly directed to the preparation of 4,4'-dihydroxystilbene from 1,1-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-2-chloroethane.