The Synthesis of 4b, 5, 12, 12a-Tetrahydro-5, 12-ethano-13H-indeno[2,3-b]anthracenes, 4b, 5, 10, 10a - tetrahydro-5,10-ethano-11H-indeno[2,3-b]naphtalenes and 1,2,3,4,4a, 9a-Hexahydro-1,4-(peri-naphthaleno)-fluorenes

The synthesis of endo- and exo-13-oxo-4b, 5, 12, 12a-tetrahydro-5, 12-ethanoindeno[2,3-b]anthracene ( 23 ; Schemes 1 and 2), exo- and endo-11-oxo-4b, 5, 10, 10a-tetrahydro-5, 10-ethano-indeno[2,3-b]naphthalene ( 31 ; Scheme 3), 1,2,3,4,4a,9a-hexahydro?1,4-(peri-naphthaleno)-fluoren-9-one (36; Scheme 4), and the corresponding hydrocarbons of the stereoisomeric ketone pairs 23 and 36 , is described.