Since the pioneering work by Sarel and co-workers on the iron carbonyl p- moted transformation of vinylcyclopropanes and related compounds 1], a - riety of transition metal complexes have been examined to achieve effective - tivation of the vinylcyclopropane-cyclopentene rearrangement which usually requires pyrolytic conditions. These reactions have been applied to natural product synthesis in some cases and have already been reviewed in several - cellent articles 2 4]. Contrary to the well-established chemistry of the vinylcyclopropanes, the corresponding reactions of alkynyl- and...