An arsine-mediated Wittig reaction for the synthesis of olefins is described. After heating triphenylarsine in the presence of an activated alkyl bromide for 30 minutes, the resulting arsonium salt condensed with aldehydes in as little as 5 minutes at room temperature, yielding the olefins in high yields. Aromatic, heteroaromatic, and alkyl aldehydes were all suitable substrates for this process.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.