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Reactions Involving Phosphorous Compounds

What is the Wittig reaction?

A mechanism to prepare alkenes by reacting an aldehyde or ketone with a phosphonium salt ylide.

**Figure 56.4:** Wittig reaction.
$\includegraphics[width=5in]{img-o-wittig_rxn.eps}$

Note: ylides are molecules that have a positively-charged phosphorous and a negatively-charged carbon, making the net charge neutral.

Alfa Diallo 2006-08-04