The cyclopropyl carbinols 8 and 9 obtained by either borohydride reduction (or Grignard addition) of the cyclopropyl ketones 1 are shown to undergo acid induced ring opening and intramolecular cyclization (5-exo or 6-endo) or deprotonation to afford either cyclopentene, biphenyl or conjugated polyene derivatives depending on the nature of Lewis acid, reaction conditions and the structuralfeatures present