The Epoxidation of Carbonyl Compounds with a Benzyne-Triggered Sulfur Ylide

An efficient method for the synthesis of epoxides from carbonyl compounds, sulfoxides, and benzyne is presented. The strategy involved an epoxidation by a sulfur ylide which is formed in situ from sulfoxide and benzyne through the S-O bond insertion and deprotonation. This one-pot reaction proceeds under mild and base-free conditions, providing a convenient way to introduce the substituted methylene groups onto the carbonyl carbon.