Deoxygenation of epoxides to olefins was effected by an efficient electron transfer system of SmI 2-THF-HMPA in the presence of N, N-dimethylaminoethanol (DMAE) or glutaric anhydride. This procedure, in combination with the SmI 2-induced iodomethylation, afforded a new, rapid and mild one-pot carbonyl methylenation method.