Abstract The mechanism of 1, 2-aryl shifts in the Wittig rearrangement of α-metallated benzyl aryl ethers has been investigated by a detailed examination of the behavior of the following ethers: benzyl phenyl ether, benzyl para-tert-butyl-and meta-tert-butyl-phenyl ethers, benzyl 2-bromo-4-tert-butylphenyl ether and dibenzo [b, d] pyran. The failure to trap any aldehyde intermediate, the ease of rearrangement for the pyran, the lack of evidence for an aryne ...
