The synthesis of 4,6,8-trimethyl-l-[(E)-4-R-styryl]azulenes 5 (R=H, MeO, Cl) has been performed by Wittig reaction of 4,6,8-trimethylazulene-1-carbaldehyde (1) and the corresponding 4-(R-benzyl)(triphenyl)phosphonium chlorides 4 in the presence of EtONa/EtOH in boiling toluene (see Table 1 ). In the same way, guaiazulene-3carbaldehyde (2) as well as dihydrolactaroviolin (3) yielded with 4a the corresponding styrylazulenes 6 and 7, respectively (see Table 1). It has been found that 1 and 4b yield, in competition to the Witfig reaction, alkylation products, namely 8 and9, respectively (cf. Scheme I ). Thereaction of4,6,8-trimethylazulene(l0) with 4b in tolueneshowed that azulenes can, indeed, be easily alkylated with the phosphonium salt 4b. 4,6,8-Trimethylazulene-2carbaldehyde (12) has been synthesized from the corresponding carboxylate 15 by a reduction (LiAlH,) and dehydrogenation (MnOz) sequence (see Scheme 2). The Swern oxidation of the intermediate 2-(hydroxy-methy1)azulene 16 yielded only 1,3-dichloroazulene derivatives (cf: Scheme 2). The Witrig reaction of 12 with 4a and 4b in the presence of EtONa/EtOH in toluene yielded the expected 2-styryl derivatives 19a and 19b, respectively (see Scheme 3 ) . Again, the yield of 19b was reduced by a competing alkylation reaction of 19b with 4b which led to the formation of the I-benzylated product 20 (see Scheme 3 ) . The 'anil synthesis' of guaiazulene (21) and the 4-R-benzanils 22 (R=H, MeO, C1, Me,N) proceeded smoothyl under standard conditions (powered KOH in DMF) to yield the corresponding 4-[(E)-styryl]azulcne derivatives 23 (see Table 4 ) . In minor amounts, bis(azulen-4-yl) compounds of type 24 and 25 were also formed (see Table 4 ) . The 'anil reaction' of 21 and 4-NOZC,H,CH=NC,H, (22e) in DMF yielded no corresponding styrylazulene derivative 23e. Instead, (E)-1,2-bis(7isopropyl-1-methylazulen-4-yl)ethene (27) was formed (see Scheme 4 ) . The reaction of 4,6,8-trimethylazulene (10) and benzanil (22a) in the presence of KOH in DMF yielded the benzanil adducts 28 to 31 (cf: Scheme 5 ) . Their direct base-catalyzed transformation into the corresponding styryl-substituted aznlenes could not be realized (qf. Scheme 6). However, the transformation succeeded smoothly with KOH in boiling EtOH after N-methylation (cfi Scheme 6).