Treatment of the different kinds of alkynyl-substituted dialkynyldiarylsilanes with zirconocene-ethylene complex CPZZr(CHZ=CHz) followed by acidification with 3 N HCl gave regio- and stereo selectively the corresponding silacyclobutenes in good yields. Desilylation of the silacyclobutenes with tetrabutylammonium fluoride afforded stereoselectively unsymmetrical conjugated (1E,3E)-dienes and -trienes (R-1 or R-2 = 1-cyclohexenyl) in excellent yields. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.