present invention smoking composition is subjected to normal smoking conditions such as with cigarettes the dioxane ester additive decomposes to release a volatile pyrolysis carboxylic acid component rco 2 h which contributes flavor enhancing properties to the mainstream smoke such as for example str3 where r 1 is a substituent selected from hydrogen alkyl alkenyl and alkoxy groups containing between about 1 4 carbon atoms because of the diester structure a high yield of carboxylic acid component is released from an invention dioxane diester under pyrolysis conditions as noted previously carboxylic acids are a known class of tobacco flavorants the present invention dioxane diesters are easily prepared and purified and are soluble in organic solvents they are uniquely stable and odorless compounds at ambient temperatures in addition the dioxane diesters decompose at a relatively low pyrolysis temperature e g 200 u00b0 300 u00b0 c to release a high yield of desirable flavor enhancing components in mainstream smoke the dioxane diesters are particularly effective for the efficient release of alkanoic acid flavorants such as butyric acid and isovaleric acid the dioxane diesters of the present invention can be prepared by reacting equivalent weights of a selected acyl halide compound with glycolaldehyde in the presence of a basic reagent such as pyridine or trimethylamine the reaction may be visualized as proceeding via an in situ formed 2 5 dihydroxydioxane intermediate str4 details of synthesis methods for the preparation of substituted dioxanes are elaborated in prior art references the synthesis of 2 5 diacetoxy 1 4 dioxane by the treatment of.