SmI2-Induced Deoxygenation of Epoxides and Its Application to Carbonyl Methylenation in Combination with Iodomethylation

Abstract Deoxygenation of epoxides to olefins was effected by an efficient electron transfer system of SmI2-THF-HMPA in the presence of N,N-dimethylaminoethanol (DMAE) or glutaric anhydride. This procedure, in combination with the SmI2-induced iodomethylation, afforded a new, rapid and mild one-pot carbonyl methylenation method.