Titanium tetrachloride mediated dialkylation of methyl 4-oxo-4-(p-brom
ophenyl)butanoate ethylene ketal by 1,8-bis(trimethylsilyl)-2,6-octadi
ene (BISTRO) leads to a mixture of methyl dl and mophenyl-2,5-divinylc
yclopentan-l-yl)-propanoates. Methoxycarbonylation, alkylation by iodo
-benzocyclobutene and then pyrolysis led to the title compounds. (C) 1
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