Dioxolane-to-bridged acetal-to-spiroketal via ring-closing metathesis and rearrangement: a novel route to 1,7-dioxaspiro[5.5]undecanes

Several examples of 1,7-dioxaspiro[5.5]undecane spiroketal systems have been synthesized from the common bicyclic intermediate 1 via acid-catalyzed rearrangement. Intermolecular ketalization of C(2) symmetric diene diol 3 with ketone 9 and then desymmetrization by ring-closing metathesis rapidly constructs bicyclic acetal 1. The locked conformation and steric bias of 1 allow stereoselective functionalization of one or both double bonds before spiroketalization.