this thesis is concerned with the preliminary studies in the synthesis of a monoterpenoid alkaloid, chaksine, ethyl 2-methylcyclohexanone-6-carboxylate (xi) was hydroxymethylated with formaldehyde to give ethyl 2-methyl~6-hydroxymethylcyclohexanone--6-carboxylate (xii). tosylation and cleavage of this product gave 2-methyl-6- carbethoxy-b-heptenoic (xiv) acid along with the diethyl ester (xiva)» ozonolysis of the diethyl ester yielded diethyl 2-keto-6-methyl pimelate (xv). a wittig reaction v/ith diethyl cyanomethyl phosphonate (xvi) gave l-cyano-6~methyll- cyano-2, 6-dicarbethoxy-l-heptene (xvii). other related studies involved: 1) preparation of ethyl 2-methyl-6-vinylcyclohexanone-6-carboxylate (xxii), 2) a new method for preparation of 2-imidazolidones (xxiv). 3) preparation of l-phenyl~2-aldehydo-6-methyl~l, 6-heptadiene (xxxiii) and l-n-butylthio-2-aldehydo-6-methyl-l, 6-heptadiene (xxxix).