Summary Methyl 2, 3-alkadienoates 2 are shown to react at 80" with 1, l-dimethoxy-3- trimethylsilyloxy-l, 3-butadiene (1) to give the adducts 3 in good yields. Rearrangement of 3, catalyzed by p-toluenesulfonic acid or by sodium methoxide, affords the 6-substituted methyl 4-hydroxy-2-methoxybenzoates 4 (R= H, CH3, C6H5). An analogous reaction sequence starting with (-)-(1 1 R)-dodeca-2, 3-dien-l1-olide ((-)-6) and 1 leads, via the adduct (R)-7, ...
