The intramolecular Baylis-Hillman reaction: easy preparation of versatile substrates, facile reactions, and synthetic applications.

We have developed a general and highly efficient method for the preparation of diverse [small omega]-formyl-[small alpha],[small beta]-unsaturated carbonyl compounds and optimized the conditions for the intramolecular Baylis-Hillman reactions of these compounds to provide various biologically important polycyclic compounds.