At lower temperatures stabilized ylides react with unsymmetrically substituted phthalic anhydrides to give two acyclic adducts. When the reactions are allowed to proceed at higher temperature enol lactones are formed. Identification of the acyclic intermediates was necessary to understand the mechanism of these Wittig reactions. The transient species trapped in the reaction with trimethyloxonium tetrafluoroborate were unambiguously identified by crystallographic methods. The crystal structures of the tetrafluoroborate salt of methyl(triphenylphosphoranyl idene)- acetate (8), methyl(3-methoxy,2-methoxycarbonylbenzoyl)triphenylphosphoranylideneacetate (6β), and methyl(2-methoxycarbonyl,6-nitrobenzoyl)triphenylphosphoranylideneacetate (7α) were studied by X-ray diffraction. The ionic salt (8) is monoclinic, P21c,a= 12.640(5), b = 13.945(9), c = 14.825(6) Å, β = 125.32(3)°, Z = 4, and R = 0.065 (F >5.4 σ(F)). Crystal 6 β is monoclinic, P21c,a = 16.391(16), b = 9.029(6), c = 19.835(19) Å, β = 116.60(6)°, Z = 4, and R = 0.070 (F > 4.6 σ(F)), while crystal 7α is also monoclinic, P21c,a = 9.513(5), b = 9.361(3), c = 30.908(13) Å, β = 98.42(3)°, Z = 4, and R = 0.057 (F >5 σ(F)). In the BF 4- salt (12), the four P-C distances are equal (1.791(5)-1.801(7) Å) with identical tetrahedral angles. For the two triphenylphosphoranylideneacetate compounds, the fourth P-C(1) bond is shorter (1.762(6)-1.734(5) Å) than the three P-C(Ph) bonds (avg. 1.809(5) Å). The angles C(1)-P-C(Ph) are also larger (avg. 112.9(2)° for 6β and 111.9(2)° for 7α) than the C(Ph)-P-C(Ph) angles (avg. 105.8(2)° for 6 β and 106.9(2)° for 7α). These values suggest a multiple nature for the P-C(1) bond. In the nitro derivative, the nitro and the ester groups are disordered equally in positions 2 and 6. Key words: Wittig reactions, cyclic anhydrides, stabilized ylide, phosphoranylidenes, crystal structures.
