A novel triphenylphosphonium salts of chloromethyl pyrrolidone having the formula: ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1, R.sub.2, and R.sub.3 may be the same or different and may be hydrogen, lower alkyl, lower alkoxy, lower alkenyl, lower cycloalkyl, and lower carboalkoxy, phenyl, substituted phenyl, naphthyl, and substituted naphthyl, R.sub.4 is lower alkyl or phenyl and X is an anion. The compounds are useful in Wittig-type reactions and as phase transfer catalysts. A method for preparing the inventive compound is also disclosed.