Retro-ene type reactions have been studied already extensively in the lite- rature. Major attention has been given to substrates containing an olefinic double bond (1 : Z=CR1R2; homoallylic alcohols), while many exym;les of the fragmentation of B-hydroxycarbonyl compounds 2 (Z=O) are known - (the base- induced fragmentation of f3-ketocarbonyl compounds also belongs to this category of reactions). Mechanistic studies have revealed that these thermal ...