N-Trityl aziridine-2-(S)-carboxaldehyde 1 undergoes a facile Baylis-Hillman reaction with a variety of activated vinyl compounds in the presence of a catalytic amount of DABCO to furnish the corresponding adducts 2 in good yields. Unexpectedly, acetylation of the adduct 2a derived from methyl acrylate takes place using Ac2O/py with concomitant allylic transposition. The predominant Z-isomer 4 gives a SN2 type displacement of the acetate with various nucleophiles in contrast to reported SN2' type displacement in similar systems. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.