ISSN 1017-2548(Print)
ISSN 2234-8530(Online)
Volume 48, Number 1
JKCSEZ 48(1)
February 20, 2004 

The condensation reaction of (benzylene)triphenylphosphoranes with carbonyl compounds in supercritical carbon dioxide was examined. Reactions of (benzylene)phosphoranes (ca. 1 mmol) with several benzaldehydes in a supercritical carbon dioxide (80 oC, 2,000 psi) containing THF entrainer (5%) in a 24 mL reactor proceed smoothly to yield olefination products in fairly good to excellant yields but slower, compared to reactions in a conventional THF solvent. Generally, phosphoranes that are not substituted with a nitro group show more (Z)-selective reactions with aromatic aldehydes under scCO2 condition than in THF. The reaction of (benzylene)triphenylphosphoranes with 4-t-butylcyclohexanone gave the corresponding olefin compounds with a low conversion under both the supercritical carbon dioxide and the organic THF solvent. Our preliminary study showed the Wittig reaction carries out smoothly in supercritical carbon dioxide medium and also a possibile tunability of this reaction pathway by adding a entrainer. The results would be useful for devising a novel process for the environmentally friendly Wittig reaction.