Abstract A general method for enlargement of carbocyclic rings by the so called zip reaction is given. The Michael adducts of 2-nitrocycloalkanones with 3-oxo-4-pentenoates in the presence of tetrabutylammonium fluoride give in high yield compounds with the ring enlarged by four C-atoms. By this method 7-, 8-, and 12-membered cycloalkanones were converted respectively to 11-, 12-, and 16-membered functionalized carbocycles (see ...