Mechanically Induced Solid-State Generation of Phosphorus Ylides and the Solvent-Free Wittig Reaction

Abstract

We describe the nearly quantitative preparation of phosphorus ylides and the Wittig reaction occurring in the solid sate during high-energy mechanochemical processing. Initial insights into the details of the discovered chemical transformations indicate that high-energy mechanical processing supports the interaction of reacting centers by breaking crystallinity of the reactants and by providing mass transfer without a solvent.