“…While a limited volume of literature exists concerning the chemistry of 2-(sulfonyl)methyloxazole-4-carboxylates, the anions of these species are known to be poor nucleophiles. For instance, Hoffmann discovered that the metalated 64 (Scheme ) fails to add to aldehydes, , precluding the occurrence of Julia reactions. Once again, the COOMe substitutent must be responsible for such a behavior, for Williams demonstrated that sulfonyloxazoles lacking such a group, e.g., 65 , do undergo Julia−Kocienski reactions, albeit in only 45−50% yield …”