Diels-Alder Reactions of -Oxy-o -xylylenes1Summary: Treatment of benzocyclobutenols or their acetates with n-butyllithium at 0 °C or less can generate the corresponding -oxy-o-xylylenes, which can then undergo Diels-Alder reactions. Sir: The formation of the reactive but elusive o-xylylenes (5,6-bis(methylene)-l,3-cyclohexadienes) followed by their Diels-Alder reactions constitutes a powerful synthetic sequence for the construction of many cyclic natural products.1 However, the typical temperatures (>25 °C) employed for this sequence have frequently been dictated by
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