The scope and utility of the metal-catalyzed rearrangement of propargyl acetates first reported by Rautenstrauch were expanded. Treatment of a series of appropriate acetate substrates with Pd (II)-and Hg (II)-catalysts afforded synthetically useful fused 5, 6-bicyclic-1, 4-cyclopentadienyl acetates and 2-cyclopentenones. It was found that the substituents at the terminal alkynyl and alkenyl positions of the acetate substrate had a significant impact on ...
