The synthesis of tour isomeric homofarnesenes, 3, 4, 7, 11-tetramethyl-1, 3, 6, 10- dodecatetraenes, is reported. The major synthetic step was the indirect formation of a tetra- substituted double bond through the acid catalyzed oxidative rearrangement of an appropriate vinyl carbinol. Two of these compounds, the Z, E-and E, E-isomers were identical to two naturally occuring homofarnesene components of the trail pheromone of ...
