A new stereoselective approach to the trans-perhydroazulene skeleton

Abstract Optically active hydroazulenes have been synthesized by solid state photochemical rearrangement of the diester (−)- 1a and subsequent ring enlargement of the tosylhydrazone (+)- 2c . Oxidative cleavage of the double bond of (+)- 3 gives the trans-perhydroazulene (−)- 4 .