2,3-Wittig rearrangement
Chemical reaction / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The correct title of this article is [2,3]-Wittig rearrangement. The omission of any brackets is due to technical restrictions.
The [2,3]-Wittig rearrangement is the transformation of an allylic ether into a homoallylic alcohol via a concerted, pericyclic process. Because the reaction is concerted, it exhibits a high degree of stereocontrol, and can be employed early in a synthetic route to establish stereochemistry. The Wittig rearrangement requires strongly basic conditions, however, as a carbanion intermediate is essential. [1,2]-Wittig rearrangement is a competitive process.[1]