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In this paper, we describe studies on the cyclopropanation of Michael acceptors with chiral sulfur ylides. It had previously been found that semi-stabilized sulfonium ylides (e.g., Ph-stabilized) reacted with cyclic and acyclic enones and substituted acrylates with high ee and that stabilized sulfonium ylides (e.g., ester-stabilized) reacted with cyclic enones again with high ee. The current study has focused on the reactions of stabilized sulfonium ylides with acyclic enones which unexpectedly gave low ee. Furthermore, a clear correlation of ee with ylide stability was observed in reactions with methyl vinyl ketone (MVK): ketone-stabilized ylide gave 25% ee, ester-stabilized ylide gave 46% ee, and amide-stabilized ylide gave 89% ee. It is believed that following betaine formation an unusual proton transfer step intervenes which compromises the enantioselectivity of the process. Thus, following addition of a stabilized ylide to the Michael acceptor, rapid and reversible intramolecular proton transfer within the betaine intermediate, prior to ring closure, results in an erosion of ee. Proton transfer occurred to the greatest extent with the most stabilized ylide (ketone). When the same reactions were carried out with deuterium-labeled sulfonium ylides, higher ee's were observed in all cases since proton/deuteron transfer was slowed down. The competing proton transfer or direct ring-closure pathways that are open to the betaine intermediate apply not only to all sulfur ylides but potentially to all ylides. By applying this model to S-, N-, and P-ylides we have been able to rationalize the outcome of different ylide reactions bearing a variety of substituents in terms of chemo- and enantioselectivity.

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