Design, preparation, X-ray crystal structure, and reactivity of o-alkoxyphenyliodonium bis(methoxycarbonyl)methanide, a highly soluble carbene precursor.

The preparation, X-ray structure, and reactivity of new, highly soluble, and reactive iodonium ylides derived from malonate methyl ester and bearing an ortho substituent on the phenyl ring are reported. These new reagents show higher reactivity than common phenyliodonium ylides in the Rh-catalyzed cyclopropanation, C–H insertion, and transylidation reactions under homogeneous conditions.