Ethyl 2-cyano-6-methyl-8,8-ethylenedioxyoct-2-enoate and its transformation products

Abstract

Ethyl 2-cyano-6-methyl-8,8-ethylenedioxyoct-2-enoate (XIII) has been synthesized from D-(+)-citronellal. A novel conversion of compound (XIII) into the ethylene acetal of ethyl α-(2-formyl-3-methylcyclopentyl)cyanoacetate, and additional cyclization reactions, are discussed. Incidental to these transformations, a synthesis of (+)-isoiridomyrmecin is described.