Wittig reaction

The Wittig reaction is a chemical reaction of an aldehyde or ketone with a triphenyl phosphonium ylide (often called a Wittig reagent) to give an alkene and triphenylphosphine oxide.

Related Topics:
Chemical reaction - Aldehyde - Ketone - Phosphonium ylide - Alkene - Triphenylphosphine oxide

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The Wittig reaction was discovered in 1954 by Georg Wittig, for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1979. It is widely used in organic synthesis for the preparation of alkenes. It should not be confused with the Wittig rearrangement.

Related Topics:
1954 - Georg Wittig - Nobel Prize in Chemistry - 1979 - Organic synthesis - Wittig rearrangement

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Wittig reactions are most commonly used to couple aldehydes to singly substituted phosphine ylides. With simple ylides this results in almost exclusively the Z-alkene product. In order to obtain the E-alkene, the Schlosser modification of the Wittig reaction can be performed.

Related Topics:
Ylide - Schlosser modification

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