A ring-rearrangement metathesis approach toward the synthesis of cyclopenta- and cyclohexa[c]indene systems.

[reaction: see text] A highly efficient synthesis of angularly fused tricyclic enones, cyclopenta- and cyclohexa[c]indene skeletons, has been achieved by the tether-directed ring-rearrangement metathesis sequence starting with readily accessible norbornene derivatives bearing allyl and homoallyl groups at the bridging carbon.