Azulene and substituted azulenes (eg, 1) continue to attract attention of researchers (both chemists and non-chemists alike) due to their unusual spectral, chemical and physiological properties.'** Although a number of methods for preparing alkylazulenes exist, many of the older methods incorporate at least one very inefficient step.'s3 Amongst the newer methods, the Ziegler-Hafner synthesis from~ yclopentadiene~(annulation of a seven-membered ...