Cyclopropanation with Fischer acyloxycarbene complexes: preparation of cyclopropane and cycloheptane-fused gamma-lactones.

[reaction: see text] A sequential acylation-intramolecular cyclopropanation reaction takes place upon treatment of a series of tetraalkylammonium acylchromates with beta,gamma-unsaturated acyl chlorides at -10 degrees C. The reaction leads to 2-oxabicyclo[3.1.0]hexan-3-ones with exo selectivity in good yields. The diastereoselectivity of the reaction allows the preparation of cis-divinyl cyclopropanes, which evolve via Cope sigmatropic reaction toward cycloheptadiene derivatives. Furthermore, the aromatic Cope rearrangement of a series of cis-aryl vinyl cyclopropanes prepared by means of this methodology has been studied.