The reaction of ethyl 2, 2-dimethoxycyclopropane-1-carboxylates 1a-d and methyl 2, 2, 6, 6- tetramethoxybicyclo [2.2. 0] hexane-1-carboxylates 5a and 5b with RuO4 in CCl4 at room temperature leads in both cases to the oxidative ring opening by regioselective scission of the electron-rich C1 C2 bond for 1a-d, and both C1 C2 and C1 C6 bonds for 5a and 5b. Methyl ethyl oxobutanedioates 2a-d were obtained in the first case while the 3-substituted ...
