Racemic and enantiopure targets containing the 6,8-dioxabicyclo [3.2.1]octa
ne skeleton, can be conveniently synthesized from monocyclic diene precurso
rs using an intramolecular ruthenium-catalyzed ring-closing metathesis reac
tion as the key step. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.