Final answer:
The Wittig reaction involves a nucleophilic attack by a phosphorus ylide on a carbonyl compound, followed by deprotonation/protonation and elimination steps to form an alkene.
Step-by-step explanation:
The currently accepted Wittig reaction consists of two main steps. First, a nucleophilic attack occurs where the nucleophilic phosphorus ylide attacks the electrophilic carbonyl carbon of an aldehyde or ketone. This step results in the formation of a betaine intermediate. The second step involves a deprotonation and protonation process which then leads to an elimination of triphenylphosphine oxide and formation of the desired alkene product. These Wittig reaction steps are crucial in organic chemistry as they allow for the synthesis of alkenes from carbonyl compounds in a stereoselective manner.
The currently accepted Wittig reaction involves two steps: nucleophilic attack and deprotonation followed by elimination of water.
Nucleophilic attack: In this step, the nucleophilic amino moiety reacts with the electrophilic carbonyl carbon, resulting in the formation of a carbon-oxygen double bond.
Deprotonation and elimination: The positive nitrogen atom is deprotonated, while the negative oxygen atom is protonated. This protonation and deprotonation enables the elimination of water, leading to the formation of the desired product.