Optically active trans-4-(tert-butyldimethylsiloxymethyl)-5-(tert-butyldimethylsiloxy)-2-cyclohexenone as a useful chiral building block for preparation of substituted cyclohexane rings: synthesis and its highly stereoselective reaction with RCu(CN)Li

Optically active trans-4-(tert-butyldimethylsiloxymethyl)-5-(tert-butyldimethylsiloxy)-2-cyclohexenone (2) has been synthesized in 25% overall yield starting from easily available 1,4-bis(benzyloxy)-2,3-epoxy butane (3). The enone 2 reacts with excellent stereoselectivity with RCu(CN)Li thus working as an efficient chiral building block for preparation of substituted cyclohexane compounds.