Wittig reaction

The Wittig reaction is a chemical process used by scientists to create new compounds, particularly to form double bonds between carbon atoms in molecules. It involves combining an aldehyde or ketone with a special reagent called a phosphonium ylide. When these two substances react, they produce an unsaturated compound—often an alkene—by transforming the original carbon-oxygen double bond into a carbon-carbon double bond. This reaction is valuable in organic chemistry because it provides a precise way to synthesize complex molecules, such as natural products, pharmaceuticals, and materials, with specific double-bond arrangements.