Synlett 2010(13): 1997-2001  
DOI: 10.1055/s-0030-1258130
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© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart ˙ New York

Rasta Resin-PPh3 and its Use in Chromatography-Free Wittig Reactions

Peter Shu-Wai Leung, Yan Teng, Patrick H. Toy*
Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, P. R. of China
Fax: +85228571586; e-Mail: phtoy@hku.hk;
Further Information

Publication History

Received 19 April 2010
Publication Date:
09 July 2010 (online)

Abstract

Rasta resin-PPh3, a new heterogeneous polystyrene-based phosphine, has been synthesized and used in one-pot Wittig olefination reactions of aldehydes. In these reactions an excess of rasta resin-PPh3 was used for the in situ generation of the phosphorane reactant and allowed for isolation of a high yield of very pure alkene product after only filtration and solvent removal. The excellent results obtained in this study are attributed to the flexible nature of the rasta resin structure, which makes it less dependant upon swelling than other heterogeneous polystyrene materials previously used to support phosphine reagents in Wittig reactions.

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See Supporting Information for details.

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General Procedure for Wittig Reactions To a solution of the aldehyde (0.5 mmol) and the alkyl halide (0.75 mmol) in the appropriate solvent (5 mL), was added RR-PPh3 (1.0 mmol), followed by Et3N (1.0 mmol). The reaction mixture was stirred at the indicated temperature until TLC analysis indicated that the aldehyde was completely consumed, and then filtered through a plug of silica gel. After washing the polymer with CH2Cl2 (2 × 50 mL) the combined filtrate was concentrated in vacuo to afford pure product. All alkene products were characterized by ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy. Steroeoisomeric ratios were determined by ¹H NMR spectroscopy.