The present report describes an unambiguous synthesis of compound 5,'required as a valuable intermediate for the synthesis of some pterosines and related natural products.* o- Methyl hydrocinnamic acid? conveniently prepared by the catalytic reduction of o- methylcinnamic acid," was cyclized by the procedure of Floyd and Allens to give 4- methylindan-1-one (1) which was converted to 5 by the sequence shown below. The ...
