Hofmann elimination is a chemical reaction that involves the conversion of a quaternary ammonium salt into an alkene. This process typically requires a strong base, which facilitates the removal of a leaving group, usually a halide ion, and a hydrogen atom from adjacent carbon atoms. The result is the formation of a double bond, creating an alkene. The reaction is named after the German chemist August Wilhelm von Hofmann, who first described it in the 19th century. Hofmann elimination is significant in organic chemistry for synthesizing alkenes and studying reaction mechanisms involving ammonium compounds.