Tetramethylnorbornadiene, a versatile alkene for cyclopentenone synthesis through intermolecular Pauson-Khand reactions.

1,2,3,4-Tetramethyl-bicyclo[2.2.1]hepta-2,5-diene (TMNBD, for tetramethylnorbornadiene) has been prepared and used successfully as an acetylene equivalent in the synthesis of substituted cyclopentenones. TMNBD is easily accessible on a multigram scale and displays excellent reactivity toward the intermolecular Pauson-Khand reaction. Conjugate additions on the resulting tricyclic compounds proceed with exquisite diastereoselectivity. The retro-Diels-Alder reaction of these TMNBD derivatives occurs under much smoother conditions than those required for its norbornadiene homologues.