Process for preparing 8-oxabicyclo[3.2.1]-octane-1-acetic acids

The process for the preparation of a compound of the formula ##STR3## which comprises reacting a compound of the formula ##STR4## with diazoethane to form a cycloheptanone of the formula ##STR5## reacting the cycloheptanone with acrylonitrile to form a compound of the formula ##STR6## reacting the substituted cycloheptanone with a reducing agent to form a cycloheptanol of the formula ##STR7## reacting the cycloheptanol with t-butyldiphenylsilyl chloride to form a compound of the formula ##STR8## reacting the reaction product with an organic acid to form a ketone of the formula ##STR9## reacting the ketone with tetra-n-butylammonium fluoride to form a bicyclic hemiacetal of the formula ##STR10## reacting the hemiacetal with trimethylorthoformate in the presence of a mineral acid to form an acetal of the formula ##STR11## reacting the nitrile with diisobutylaluminum hydride to form an aldehyde of the formula ##STR12## reacting the aldehyde with a compound of the formula ##STR13## to form an unsaturated ester of the formula ##STR14## hydrogenating the unsaturated ester to form a saturated ester of the formula ##STR15## reducing the ester with diisobutylaluminum hydride to form an aldehyde of the formula ##STR16## reacting the aldehyde with a Grignard reagent of the formula ##STR17## to form a secondary alcohol of the formula ##STR18## esterifying the alcohol with an esterifying agent to form an ester of the formula ##STR19## treating the ester with an acid selected from tosic acid and camphorsulfonic acid to form an ester of the formula ##STR20## reacting the reaction product with acid to form a hemiacetal of the formula ##STR21## reacting the hemiacetal with a compound of the formula

• (C.sub.6 H.sub.5).sub.3 P.dbd.CHCOOC.sub.2 H.sub.5
• to form a diester of the formula ##STR22## and hydrolyzing the ester with base, wherein R.sub.1 is a t-butyldiphenylsilyoxy group and R.sub.2 is benzoyl or a lower alkanoyl group having 2-5 carbon atoms.