Georg Wittig

Georg Wittig (June 16, 1897 in Berlin (Germany) - August 26, 1987) was a German chemist who reported a method for synthesis of alkenes from aldehydes and ketones using compounds called phosphonium ylides in the Wittig reaction. He won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1979.

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Wittig's contributions also include the preparation of phenyllithium and the discovery of the 1,2-Wittig rearrangement and the 2,3-Wittig rearrangement.

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Wittig was well known in the chemistry community for being a consummate experimenter and observer of chemical transformations, while caring very little for the theoretical and mechanistic underpinnings of the work he produced.

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June 16: June 16 is the 167th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (168th in leap years), with 198 days remaining....

1897: 1897 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar)....

August 26: August 26 is the 238th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (239th in leap years). There are 127 days remaining....

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