First Microwave‐Assisted Catalytic Wittig Reaction

Abstract

Abstract We introduce a novel catalytic Wittig reaction based on an inexpensive and readily available phosphane oxide as a precatalyst. The performance of the reaction under microwave irradiation led to significantly improved yields and reaction rates relative to those obtained under conventional heating. Moreover, herein we enclose the first example of the asymmetric catalytic Wittig reaction based on a chiral phosphane as the catalyst.