1-Phenylthio-3-vinyl-3-cyclohexenol, a new reagent for bis-annelation of silyl enol ethers

1-Phenylthio-3-vinyl-cyclohex-1-en-3-ol () has been synthesized and investigated as a new bis-annelation reagent for silyl enol ethers. Reagent can be synthesized by a Grignard reaction of vinyl magnesium bromide with 3-phenylthiocyclohexenone. The reaction with silyl enol ethers takes place under Lewis acid catalysis and generally proceeds in good yields. The resulting phenylthiodienes can be hydrolyzed to enones, which have been cyclized in a homologous aldol reaction to polycyclic compounds.