Bamford-Stevens Mechanism
The tosylhydrazone [2] formed from the aldehyde [1] and tosylhydrazine, reacts with sodium methoxide generating an intermediate [4] , which depending on the solvent can evolve into a carbocation (protic solvent) or carbene ( aprotic solvent).
The decomposition of [4] by loss of nitrogen generates a carbene that regroups to an alkene.
In protic media (solvent ethanediol) a carbocation [7] which is eliminated by E 1 , forming the same final alkene.
