Corey-Chaykovsky Reaction and Related Processes

Since the initial reports in the 1960s, the so-called Corey-Chaykovsky reaction, making use of sulfonium- or sulfoxonium ylides, has become an essential synthetic strategy in the chemist's toolbox, with an emphasis in the epoxidation or aziridination of C=X derivatives (X = O, N). This review covers the recent literature from 2013 up to mid-2023. For instance, it was highlighted that the original methylene transfer process was successfully extended from benzylic and allylic groups to more elaborated functionalized pendants. In some cases, the resulting three-membered rings were exploited in in situ ring opening sequences or rearrangements. On the other hand, the initially developed (2 + 1) annulation, was successfully applied to (3 + 2) and (n + 1) annulations (n = 3–6) towards the constructions of larger ring systems, in parallel to interrupted sequences. Eventually, the more recent achievements in asymmetric synthesis has been considered.