Divergent regioselectivity in the base-promoted reactions of cyclic eight-membered alpha-ketols with activated halides

[reaction: see text] Deprotonation of 2-hydroxycyclooctanone followed by exposure to an allylic or benzylic halide proceeds very selectively to give the product of C-alkylation. The effect of Delta(5,6)-unsaturation is to promote instead the formation of the O-alkylated derivative. This crossover in kinetic preference is attributed to an inability of the olefinic system to attain a conformation conducive to proton abstraction at C-2.