1,4-ASYMMETRIC INDUCTION IN THE FORMATION OF CYCLOHEXADIENONES BY CHIRALITY TRANSFER FROM A TRANSIENTLY INSTALLED CHROMIUM-STEREOSPECIFIC ELECTROCYCLIC RING-CLOSURE OF A METAL COMPLEXED VINYL KETENE

The cyclohexadienone annulation of a beta,beta-disubstituted vinyl chr omium carbene complex and a chiral prop-2-ynylic ether results in high 1,4-asymmetric induction at the newly formed quaternary carbon; the s tereochemical information from the prop-2-ynylic ether is initially tr ansfered to the chromium coordination sphere and then to the quaternar y carbon of the cyclohexa-2,4-dienone.