Dimethyl ether ions, decomposition

However, unlabelled dimethyl sulphide is obtained from the reaction of 2-phenylethyl-2//2-dimethylsulphonium ion with hydroxide in water . Elimination from tri(ethyl-l,l-//2)-sulphonium ion with triphenylmethylsodium in ether gives triphenylmethane, 75% of which contains deuterium, indicating that the predominant route for the decomposition is via an ylid mechanism. The analyses of the other products are also in agreement with this conclusion... 

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