Synthesis of Seven-Membered Carbocyclic Rings via a Microwave-Assisted Tandem Oxyanionic 5-exo dig Cyclization−Claisen Rearrangement Process

Appropriately substituted 1-alkenyl-4-pentyn-1-ol systems, readily prepared from simple starting materials, serve as useful precursors to a number of substituted cyclohept-4-enone derivatives via a microwave-assisted tandem oxyanionic 5-exo cyclization/Claisen rearrangement sequence. The reactions involving terminally substituted 4-pentyn-1-ols were found to be highly stereoselective, with the α and β groups in the final product showing a strong preference for the trans orientation.