Wittig and His Accomplishments: Still Relevant Beyond His 100th Birthday

Abstract

Georg Wittig, what is known today about his work? Certainly the Wittig reaction and dehydrobenzene are mentioned when younger chemists refer to Wittig. However, such pioneering discoveries as the halogen/metal exchange reaction and the directed ortho-metalation, as well as the key experiments leading to azaenolates or to complex bases, are associated with Wittig only by some old-timers. This is the reason to refer anew to the significance of Wittig's contributions to the chemistry of the 21st century.