Protonation of the 1:1 intermediate produced in the reaction between triphenylphosphine and dialkyl acetylenedicarboxylates by pyrrole-2-carbaldehyde leads to a vinylphosphonium salt, which undergoes intramolecular Wittig reaction to produce the title compounds in good yields.
Tetraalkyl cyclobutene-1,2,3,4-tetracarboxylates, prepared by intramolecular Wittig reaction between a vinylphosphonium salt and diethyl 2-oxobutanedioate, undergo electrocyclic ring-opening reactions, in boiling toluene, to produce highly electron-deficient 1,3-dienes.