Installation of carbon chain onto 2-cyclohexene-1,4-diol monoacetate

Alkylation of cyclohexenyl monoacetate 1 with R2Cu(CN)(MgCl)2 or RMgBr/CuCN (cat.) in Et2O produced trans 1,2-isomers 4, while arylation and alkenylation of 1 was accomplished with lithium borates 5 and a nickel cat. to afford trans 1,4-isomers 3 selectively. Furthermore, several transformations of the products were carried out to demonstrate synthetic advantages of the present reactions.