Green Aqueous Wittig Reaction: Teaching Green Chemistry in Organic Teaching Laboratories

Green experiments in the organic teaching lab are a vital part of training a new generation of scientists. Not only do they make the lab experience safer and produce less costly waste, they allow students an opportunity to examine and consider potentially hazardous chemical methodologies and develop alternatives. The work discussed here focuses on a series of Wittig reactions that are carried out in aqueous conditions, at room temperature, and in less than one hour. The reactions have been applied to a variety of starting aldehydes. Results for this work and strategies for implementing a green chemistry case study into the laboratory curriculum are presented.