An Efficient Synthesis of 2,3,5,6-Tetramethylidene-7-oxanorbornane

Palladium-catalyzed double carbomethoxylation of the Diels-Alder adduct of furan and maleic anhydride yielded the methyl all-exo-7-oxanorbornane-2,3,5,6-tetracarboxylate (7) which was transformed in three steps into 2,3,5,6-tetramethylidene-7-oxanorbornane (1) , a useful synthon. Six isomeric methyl 7-oxanor-bornane-2,3,5,6-tetracarboxylates (7–12) have been isolated and their ¹H- and ¹³C-NMR. data are compared.