Polymer-bound alpha-sulfonyl monocarbanions can be generated very effectively with dimsyl anion. The highly efficient and convenient protocols presented here report the preparation of alpha,beta-unsaturated ketones and vinylaryl compounds using dimsyl anion to achieve the key solid-phase alpha-sulfonyl monocarbanion alkylation step, (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.