Taniguchi lactone. It was converted into diastereomeric amides with (S)-1-phenylethylamine for stereoisomer resolution. The doublebonds of (±)-, (R)- and (S)-Taniguchi lactones were brominated and dehydrobrominated in two steps, using at first DBU and then LDA, to deliver the triple bonds. cis-2-Butene-1,4-diol was heated with triethyl orthoacetate and p-hydroquinone as catalyst at 170 °C to give racemic