A new enantiospecific synthetic route to the interesting chiral synthetic i
ntermediate 10-bromocamphor starting from readily available camphor is desc
ribed. The procedure takes place straightforwardly in only three synthetic
steps with high overall yield. Mechanistically, two interesting enantiospec
ific Wagner-Meerwein rearrangements involving 2-norbornyl carbocations take
place during the process. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserv
ed.