A conformationally defined retinoic acid analog (1) which contains a dimethylene bridge to maintain the 6-s-trans orientation for two terminal double bonds in the polyene chain was synthesized. A Reformatsky reaction was utilized to extend the polyene chain of the starting enone, which provided exclusively the 92-configuration for the intermediate aldehyde. A Horners-Emmons condensation with this aldehyde then produced retinoic acid analogs ...