Cyclopropanation

Thianthrenium ylides enable carbene transfer for cyclopropanation reactions

Researchers report that thianthrenium ylides can act as effective carbene donors for cyclopropanation, a reaction where conventional sulfonium and sulfoxonium salts have largely failed. They attribute this failure in prior chemistry to strong carbon-sulfur bonding in typical sulfur ylides, which prevents formation of a sufficiently electrophilic metal-carbene intermediate needed for broad olefin reactivity.