Titanium tetrachloride mediated dialkylation of methyl 4-p-bromophenyl
-4-oxobutanoate ethylene ketals 2 by 1,8-bis(trimethylsilyl)-2,6-octad
iene 1 (BISTRO) led to a mixture of methyl dl and omophenyl-2,5-diviny
lcyclopentan-1-yl)-propanoates 3. Iodolactonisation, reduction with Bu
3SnH, Jones oxidation, methoxycarbonylation, alkylation by iodobenzocy
clobutene, demethoxycarbonylation and then pyrolysis led to the title
compounds. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.