Treatment of 2,6-disubstituted-4-t-butylphenols with thallium(III) trifluoroacetate in either trifluoroacetic acid or carbon tetrachloride as solvent results in loss of the 4-t-butyl substituent as isobutene and formation in high yield of the corresponding 2,6-disubstituted p-quinones. Possible mechanisms for this novel reaction, which probably proceeds via the intermediacy of a hydroquinone or hydroquinone