Correlated ab initio molecular orbital, DFT, QCISD, G3MP2, and QCISD(T) calculations have been used to investigate the geometries, energetics, and mechanisms governing the insertion reactions of 1 CH 2 into OOH and NOH bonds of water and ammonia, respectively, in gas phase adopting 6-311ϩϩg(d, p) basis set. It is found that 1 CH 2 reacts with water and ammonia to produce the ylide-like intermediates H 2 COOH 2 and H 2 CONH 3 , which in turn undergo 1,2-hydrogen shift to produce methanol and methylamine, respectively. Results obtained indicate that in the gas phase, the ylides and the transition states are located below the reactants' energy levels.