The treatment of cyclopropanes having donor and acceptor substituents at th
e vicinal positions on the cyclopropane ring with a Lewis acid readily gene
rates a 1,3-zwitterion, which reacted with allylsilanes to produce cycloadd
ucts and allylic products. It was found that the yield of the cycloadduct d
epends on the steric demand of the alkyl substituents on the silicon atom.