Patent ID: 8901365

Claim:
A one-pot catalytic Wittig method to form an olefin from an organohalide and an aldehyde or ketone comprising the steps: a) providing i) the organohalide, ii) the aldehyde or ketone, iii) a phosphine oxide, and iv) a silane reducing agent; b) reducing the phosphine oxide with the silane reducing agent to produce a phosphine; c) forming a phosphonium ylide precursor with the phosphine and organohalide; d) generating a phosphonium ylide from the phosphonium ylide precursor; and e) reacting the phosphonium ylide with the aldehyde or ketone to form the olefin and said phosphine oxide; wherein the phosphine oxide is selected from the group: wherein n is between 0 and 4; m is between 0 and 14; and R is an alkyl; R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 are each an alkyl, aryl, alkoxy, or heteroaryl; and the organohalide is a primary or secondary organohalide.