A leap forward in sulfonium salt and sulfur ylide chemistry

Sulfonium salts and sulfur ylides are important S(IV) motifs, and have displayed many unique reactivities to provide simple, effective, and often stereoselective synthesis toward sulfur containing compounds. Impressive developments have been witnessed within this field during the past several years. In light of the increasing demand of organosulfur compounds across the range of chemical sciences, our aim of this review is to provide a concise overview of recent advances of sulfonium salt and sulfur ylide chemistry. Selected examples are organized in three parts on the basis of their role in organic reactions (reactants, intermediates and catalysts).