Wittig reaction

chemistry

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July 15, 2026

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The Wittig reaction is a chemical process discovered by German chemist Georg Wittig, for which he shared the 1979 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. This reaction is highly valuable in organic synthesis for creating complex organic compounds, including vitamins and steroids.12

In the Wittig reaction, an aldehyde reacts with a phosphorane, also known as a phosphorus ylide. The outcome of this reaction is the formation of a carbon-carbon double bond. Essentially, the carbonyl oxygen atom of the aldehyde is replaced by the carbon group that is bonded to phosphorus. This method allows chemists to construct specific carbon skeletons, which is crucial in organic chemistry.2

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aldehyde
Addition of carbon nucleophiles
…a carbon nucleophile is the Wittig reaction, in which an aldehyde reacts with a phosphorane (also called a phosphorus ylide), to give a compound containing a carbon-carbon double bond. The result of a Wittig reaction is the replacement of the carbonyl oxygen of an aldehyde by the carbon group bonded…
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…a carbon nucleophile is the Wittig reaction, in which an aldehyde reacts with a phosphorane (also called a phosphorus ylide), to give a compound containing a carbon-carbon double bond. The result of a Wittig reaction is the replacement of the carbonyl oxygen of an aldehyde by the carbon group bonded…
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Georg Wittig
…that became known as the Wittig reaction. This reaction proved of great value in the synthesis of complex organic compounds such as vitamins A and D₂, prostaglandins, and steroids.
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…that became known as the Wittig reaction. This reaction proved of great value in the synthesis of complex organic compounds such as vitamins A and D₂, prostaglandins, and steroids.
Read More