2,3-Diphenylcyclopropane-l-carboxylic acids undergo ring opening when treated with lithium diisopropylamide (LDIA) in tetrahydrofuran. From c/j,tra«i-2,3-diphenylcyclopropane-l-carboxylic acid (la) LDIA treatment, hydrolysis, and diazomethane esterification produce methyl cis-and nww-a-benzylcinnamates (6b and 4b). From /m/«,i/'u/K-2,3-diphenylcyclopropane-l-carboxylic acid (2a) the same procedure gives methyl (£)-and (Z)-3,4-diphenyl-3-butenoates (7b and 8b). Similar treatment of 2,3:4,5-dibenzo-2,4-norcaradiene-a«n'-7-carboxylic acid (3a) produces methyl 9-phenanthrylacetate (lib) and methyl 3,4:5,6-dibenzocyclohepta-l,3,5-triene-l-carboxylate (12b). Structures of all of the ring-opened products have been verified by their spectral properties and independent syntheses. All of them can be explained by electrocyclic conversions of cyclopropyl anions to allyl anions. Conversion of 3a to 12b can proceed only by a disrotatory path, while the other ring openings should be conrotatory according to theory. Preliminary kinetic experiments suggest that the rate-limiting step for ring opening of la is loss of the second proton from the lithium carboxylate, while the rate-limiting steps for ring openings of 2a and 3a may be the ring opening itself. The relative rates of conversion of the cyclopropanecarboxylic acids to ring-opened materials are la » 2a » 3a. In contrast to the slow deprotonation of la, 2a, and 3a, methyl c/s',//-tim-2,3-diphenylcyclopropane-l-carboxylate (lb) forms an enolate with LDIA in THF readily at -78°. The lithium enolate of lb appears to undergo ring opening at -39°. The name dilithium "carboxylate enolate" is proposed for ciilithio derivatives of aliphatic carboxylic acids which are formed by loss of protons from oxygen and a carbon.