Intramolecular Oxidative Coupling of the Bis Enolate Derived from Dimethyl β,β-Dimethylglutarate: A Facile Stereoselective Route to a Versatile Synthon for Preparation of Insecticidal Pyrethroids

Treatment of the bis enolate derived from dimethyl β,β-dimethylglutarate with silver chloride afforded dimethyl cis-3,3-dimethyl-1,2-cyclopropanedicarboxylate, a versatile synthon for the preparation of the acid component of cis-pyrethroids. A similar experiment utilizing iodine as the oxidant led to the isolation of the corresponding trans diester with good stereo-selectivity.