The dioxazolylbutenones 2a, formed by isomerization of the Diels-Alder adducts of 2, fi- dimethylfuran with (nitrosocarbony1) benzene [2+ 41, are efficient Michael acceptors of a wide variety of carbon and heteroatom nucleophiles. The resulting adducts 5 function as half- blocked 1, 4-diones. They can be converted into the corresponding diketones 10 by hot aqueous EtOH or Pd-Hz or into the 3-substituted 2, 5-dimethylfurans 19 by BF3, either ...