Subject carbonyl ylide generation

There are very few examples of photolysis being used for preparation of a carbonyl ylide. The Dittami protocol follows work completed from his lab with aryl vinyl sulfides. Photolysis, followed by cycloaddition, led to the cycloadduct 305 in excellent yield and stereoselectivity. If the aryl vinyl ether 304 was subjected to irradiation in a mixed solution of toluene-methanol at 366 nm rather than a single solvent of toluene, cyclized product was obtained, but no cycloadduct was formed. If a simple phenyl aryl ether was subjected to the same tandem conditions, the cyclized product was generated, but no cycloadduct was detected. 

Condensation with carbonyl compounds. Formation of epoxides from aldehydes by reaction with sulfonium ylides is subject to asymmetric induction. The latter species have been generated from 91, 92, and 93, and also those derived from monoterpenes, e.g., 94 " and 95.- Of course the ylides can be obtained in situ by deprotonation of sulfonium salts or copper-catalyzed decomposition of diazoalkanes (with the carbenoids trapped by the sulfides). 

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