What is the Wittig reaction mechanism?

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SUMMARY

The Wittig reaction mechanism involves the formation of an ylide from a phosphonium salt, which then reacts with a carbonyl compound to form an alkene. The discussion highlights the confusion surrounding the structure of the ylide and its role in determining the correct answer to a specific question regarding the mechanism. The participants emphasize the importance of understanding the initial steps of the mechanism and the utility of the Wittig reagent in organic synthesis.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of organic chemistry fundamentals
  • Familiarity with phosphonium salts
  • Knowledge of carbonyl chemistry
  • Basic grasp of reaction mechanisms
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the detailed steps of the Wittig reaction mechanism
  • Learn about the structure and properties of ylides
  • Explore the applications of the Wittig reaction in organic synthesis
  • Investigate common pitfalls and misconceptions in understanding the Wittig reaction
USEFUL FOR

Students studying organic chemistry, educators teaching reaction mechanisms, and chemists interested in synthetic methodologies will benefit from this discussion.

n.a.s.h
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Can anyone please walk me through the mechanism as this question does not make sense to me. I do have some understanding of the general mechanism. The answer is B) but I don't understand how to get there.

The confusing aspect to me, is the structure of the ylide.
 

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How do you know the answer is B? Is that your guess or did you just get the answer from someone/somewhere? Why wouldn't it be D, for example?

You say you know how the Wittig reaction works, can you go through the mechanism with these particular reagents? Maybe we should start out with this: what is the first step of the mechanism? What makes the Wittig reagent so useful?

Also this belongs in the HW section because it's clearly some type of School type question.
 

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