Wittig reaction

The Wittig reaction is a chemical reaction of an aldehyde or ketone with a phosphonium ylide to give an alkene and triphenylphosphine oxide.

This reaction was discovered in 1954 by Georg Wittig, for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1979.

Mechanism

References

• Wittig, G.; Schöllkopf, U.; Ber. 1954, 87, 1318.
• Wittig, G.; Haag, W.; Ber. 1955, 88, 1654.
• Maercker, A.; Org. React. 1965, 14, 270–490.

See also

• Horner reaction
• Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons reaction