The Mitsunobu reaction is an organic reaction used to convert a primary or secondary alcohol into a variety of compounds using DEAD and triphenylphosphine. Price of Potassium trichloroammineplatinate(II) (R)-2-Chloro-2-fluoroacetic acid Data Sheet The final product depends on the acidic reagent (the conjugate acid of the nucleophile). The mechanism begins with attack of PPh₃ on DEAD which forms a zwitterionic intermediate. This intermediate then deprotonates the acidic compound to reveal the anionic nucleophile. The alcohol starting material then binds to the phosphonium ion and the nucleophile performs a SN₂ attack to yield the final substitution product with inversion of stereochemistry. The formation of a strong P=O in the by-product drives this reaction forward. ^[1][2]