Formation of five- and seven-membered rings enabled by the triisopropylsilyl auxiliary group.

A highly convenient synthetic pathway to 2-indanones from aldehydes was established. The introduction of a triisopropylsilyl group greatly facilitated Meinwald rearrangement of the intermediate epoxides and alleviated the necessity of polysubstitution for the clean formation of indenes and cyclopentadienes via cyclodehydration of allylic alcohols; unprecedented freedom with respect to the product structure was thus achieved. The developed methodology could also be applicable to the formation of seven-membered rings leading to dibenzo[7]annulenes and dibenzosuberones.