Oxetanes: formation, reactivity and total syntheses of natural products
- Peter Gabko,
- Martin Kalník and
- Maroš Bella
Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1324–1373, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.101
Graphical Abstract
Figure 1: Bond lengths and bond angles in oxetane at 140 K [2].
Figure 2: Analogy of 3-substituted oxetanes to carbonyl and gem-dimethyl groups [12].
Figure 3: Use of oxetanes in drug design – selected examples.
Figure 4: Examples of oxetane-containing natural products.
Scheme 1: Synthetic strategies towards construction of the oxetane ring.
Scheme 2: Overview of intramolecular Williamson etherification and competing Grob fragmentation.
Scheme 3: Synthesis of spiro-oxetanes via 1,4-C–H insertion and Williamson etherification.
Scheme 4: Use of phenyl vinyl selenone in the synthesis of spirooxindole oxetanes.
Scheme 5: Synthesis of bicyclic 3,5-anhydrofuranoses via double epoxide opening/etherification.
Scheme 6: Preparation of spirooxetanes by cycloisomerisation via MHAT/RPC.
Scheme 7: Oxetane synthesis via alcohol C–H functionalisation.
Scheme 8: Access to oxetanes 38 from α-acetyloxy iodides.
Scheme 9: The kilogram-scale synthesis of oxetane intermediate 41.
Scheme 10: Overview of the intramolecular opening of 3-membered rings.
Scheme 11: Synthesis of 4,7-dioxatricyclo[3.2.1.03,6]octane skeletons.
Scheme 12: Silicon-directed electrophilic cyclisation of homoallylic alcohols.
Scheme 13: Hydrosilylation–iodocyclisation of homopropargylic alcohols.
Scheme 14: Cu-catalysed intramolecular O-vinylation of γ-bromohomoallylic alcohols.
Scheme 15: Cu-catalysed intramolecular cross-coupling of hydroxyvinylstannanes.
Scheme 16: Isomerisation of oxiranyl ethers containing weakly carbanion-stabilising groups.
Scheme 17: Cyclisation of diethyl haloalkoxymalonates.
Scheme 18: Synthesis of oxetanes through a 1,5-HAT/radical recombination sequence.
Scheme 19: General approach to oxetanes via [2 + 2] cycloadditions.
Scheme 20: Synthesis of tricyclic 4:4:4 oxetanes through a photochemical triple cascade reaction.
Scheme 21: Iridium-catalysed Paternò–Büchi reaction between α-ketoesters and simple alkenes.
Scheme 22: Three-step synthesis of spirocyclic oxetanes 83 via Paternò–Büchi reaction, nucleophilic ring openi...
Scheme 23: Enantioselective Paternò–Büchi reaction catalysed by a chiral iridium photocatalyst.
Scheme 24: Synthesis of polysubstituted oxetanes 92 via Cu(II)-mediated formal [2 + 2] cycloadditions.
Scheme 25: Synthesis of alkylideneoxetanes via NHC- and DBU-mediated formal [2 + 2] cycloadditions.
Scheme 26: Use of sulphur-stabilised carbanions in ring expansions.
Scheme 27: Synthesis of α,α-difluoro(arylthio)methyl oxetanes.
Scheme 28: Ring expansion in an industrial synthesis of PF-06878031.
Scheme 29: Ring contraction of triflated 2-hydroxy-γ-lactones.
Scheme 30: Ring contraction in an industrial synthesis of PF-06878031.
Scheme 31: Photochemical ring contraction of 2,5-dihydrofurans by aryldiazoacetic acid esters.
Scheme 32: Synthesis of 3-oxetanones via O-H insertion of carbenes.
Scheme 33: Synthesis of phosphonate oxetanones via gold-mediated alkyne oxidation/O–H insertion.
Scheme 34: Syntheses and common derivatisations of 3-oxetanone.
Scheme 35: SN1 substitution of 3-aryloxetan-3-ols by thiols and alcohols.
Scheme 36: Fe–Ni dual-catalytic olefin hydroarylation towards 3-alkyl-3-(hetero)aryloxetanes.
Scheme 37: Synthesis of 3-aryloxetan-3-carboxylic acids.
Scheme 38: Decarboxylative alkylation of 3-aryloxetan-3-carboxylic acids.
Scheme 39: Synthesis of 3-amino-3-aryloxetanes via photoredox/nickel cross-coupling catalysis.
Scheme 40: Intermolecular cross-selective [2 + 2] photocycloaddition towards spirooxetanes.
Scheme 41: Synthesis of 3-aryl-3-aminooxetanes via defluorosulphonylative coupling.
Scheme 42: Two-step synthesis of amide bioisosteres via benzotriazolyl Mannich adducts 170.
Scheme 43: Functionalisation of oxetanyl trichloroacetimidates 172.
Scheme 44: Synthesis of oxetane-amino esters 176.
Scheme 45: Tandem Friedel–Crafts alkylation/intramolecular ring opening of 3-aryloxetan-3-ols.
Scheme 46: Synthesis of polysubstituted furans and pyrroles.
Scheme 47: Synthesis of oxazolines and bisoxazolines.
Scheme 48: Tandem, one-pot syntheses of various polycyclic heterocycles.
Scheme 49: Synthesis of 1,2-dihydroquinolines via skeletal reorganisation of oxetanes.
Scheme 50: Synthesis of benzoindolines and 2,3-dihydrobenzofurans and their derivatisations.
Scheme 51: Synthesis of polysubstituted 1,4-dioxanes.
Scheme 52: Preparation of various lactones via ring opening of oxetane-carboxylic acids 219.
Scheme 53: Tsuji-Trost allylation/ring opening of 3-aminooxetanes.
Scheme 54: Arylative skeletal rearrangement of 3-vinyloxetan-3-ols to 2,5-dihydrofurans.
Scheme 55: Reductive opening of oxetanes using catalytic Mg–H species.
Scheme 56: Opening of oxetanes by silyl ketene acetals.
Scheme 57: Rhodium-catalysed hydroacylation of oxetanes.
Scheme 58: Generation of radicals from oxetanes mediated by a vitamin B12-derived cobalt catalyst.
Scheme 59: Reductive opening of oxetanes by B–Si frustrated Lewis pairs.
Scheme 60: Zirconocene-mediated reductive opening of oxetanes.
Scheme 61: Enantioselective syntheses of small and medium-size rings using chiral phosphoric acids.
Scheme 62: Asymmetric synthesis of 2,3-dihydrobenzo[b]oxepines catalysed by a chiral scandium complex.
Scheme 63: Enantioselective synthesis of 1,3-bromohydrins under a chiral squaramide catalysis.
Scheme 64: Enantioselective opening of 2-aryl-2-ethynyloxetanes by anilines.
Scheme 65: Ru-catalysed insertion of diazocarbonyls into oxetanes.
Scheme 66: Ring expansion of oxetanes by stabilised carbenes generated under blue light irradiation.
Scheme 67: Expansion of oxetanes via nickel-catalysed insertion of alkynyltrifluoroborates.
Scheme 68: Nickel-catalysed expansion of oxetanes into ε-caprolactones.
Scheme 69: Expansion of oxetanes via cobalt-catalysed carbonyl insertion.
Scheme 70: Gold-catalysed intramolecular 1,1-carboalkoxylation of oxetane-ynamides.
Scheme 71: Expansion of oxetanes by stabilised sulphoxonium ylides.
Scheme 72: Cu-catalysed ring expansion of 2-vinyloxetanes by diazoesters.
Scheme 73: Total synthesis of (+)-oxetin.
Scheme 74: Total synthesis of racemic oxetanocin A.
Scheme 75: Total synthesis of (−)-merrilactone A.
Scheme 76: Total synthesis of (+)-dictyoxetane.
Scheme 77: Total synthesis of ent-dichrocephone B.
Scheme 78: Total synthesis of (−)-mitrephorone A.
Scheme 79: Total synthesis of (−)-taxol.
