Annulation reactions of allenyl esters: an approach to bicyclic diones and medium-sized rings.

A flexible approach to construct sterically congested bicyclo-alkenedione frameworks is reported. Under the action of potassium carbonate, alpha-sulphonyl cycloalkanones are added to functionalized allenyl esters, leading to a lactone intermediate that is subsequently reduced to initiate an intramolecular aldol cyclization to [3.2.1], [3.3.1], and [4.3.1] bicycles. Oxidation then affords bicyclic diones in good three-step yields. Under exceptionally mild conditions, these bicycles are converted to highly functionalized medium-sized rings through a Grob-type fragmentation.