[2+2] Photocycloaddition of 3-alkenyloxy-2-cycloalkenones: enantioselective Lewis acid catalysis and ring expansion.

By application of substoichiometric amounts (50 mol %) of a chiral Lewis acid, the intramolecular [2+2] photocycloaddition of the title compounds was achieved with high enantioselectivity (up to 94 % ee). Upon cleavage of the cyclobutane ring the resulting tricyclic products underwent ring-expansion reactions under acidic conditions and formed anellated seven- or eight-membered-ring systems without racemization. The ring expansion could be combined with a diastereoselective reduction (triethylsilane) or allylation (allyltrimethylsilane) upon BF3 catalysis (48-87 % yield).