The sulfonyl auxiliary group is useful in organic synthesis'; it is often removed by hydrogenolysis.2 Base-promoted elimina- tion is usually an inefficient reaction requiring drastic condi- tions3a unless the new double bond is conjugated with some unsaturated group already present in the molecule.3b A more general reaction is clearly desirable. During the investigation4b of the nickel-catalysed homo- coupling4a of sulfonyl carbanions, it turned out that an ...
