For an example (conversion of cyclohexanone to the epoxide), see: Org. Synth. Coll., 5, 755 (1973). In contrast to Trimethyl-sulfonium iodide, reaction with ɑ?-unsaturated ketones occurs by 1,4-addition to give cyclopropanes: J. Am. Chem. Soc., 87, 1353 (1965). Efficient addition to enones has been effected with a highly basic system consisting of KOH in DMSO with a phase-transfer catalyst: Synth. Commun., 26, 1785 (1996). Reaction with epoxides gives oxetanes, unlike the sulfonium ylide which gives allylic alcohols: J. Org. Chem., 48, 5133 (1983); Synthesis, 1140 (1987); cf Tetrahedron Lett., 35, 5449 (1994).Similarly, N-arenesulfonylaziridines undergo ring expansion to azetidines with inversion at one carbon. Thus, cis-substituted aziridines give trans-azetidines and vice versa: Tetrahedron, 45, 1851 (1989).Review of the chemistry of sulfonium ylides: Russ. Chem. Rev., 50, 481 (1981). Extensive review of the synthetic applications of dimethylsulfoxonium methylide: Tetrahedron, 43, 2609 (1987).
