A polyethyleneimine-supported triphenylphosphine reagent has been synthesized and
used as a highly loaded bifunctional homogeneous reagent in a range of one-pot Wittig
reactions that afforded high yields of the desired products after simple purification
procedures. The approach also served efficiently in tandem reaction sequences involving
a one-pot Wittig reaction followed by conjugate reduction of the newly formed alkene
product in situ. In these transformations, the phosphine oxide groups generated in
the Wittig reaction served as the catalyst for activating trichlorosilane in the subsequent
reduction reaction.
Key words
conjugate reduction - polyethyleneimine - polymer supported reagents - triphenylphosphine
- Wittig reactions