The Hofmann elimination reaction is a process in which an amine is treated with excess methyl iodide, followed by silver oxide (Ag2O) to yield a quaternary ammonium iodide. This intermediate is then heated with a strong base, typically hydroxide, which induces the elimination of a tertiary amine and an alkene as products. Hofmann elimination prioritizes the formation of the least substituted, that is, the least stable alkene, due to steric factors and the bulky nature of the leaving group. This aspect of Hofmann elimination contrast with the more familiar Zaitsev rule, which predicts the formation of the more stable, more substituted alkene.