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Synlett
DOI: 10.1055/a-2689-2231
DOI: 10.1055/a-2689-2231
Letter
Synthesis of Azetidine Nitrones by Double Methylene Incorporation into Nitrile Oxides Using Diazomethane
This research was partly supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C) (24K08426) from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), Japan.

Abstract
A novel method for preparing 4-membered azetidine nitrones, starting from isolable nitrile oxides, has been developed. The reaction of diazomethane with the bulky nitrile oxides proceeds via double nucleophilic incorporation of the methylene moiety to produce 4-membered cyclic nitrones in yields up to 74%. A reaction pathway involving the formation of a strained azirine N-oxide intermediate is discussed.
Keywords
Nitrile oxide - Diazomethane - Double methylene incorporation - Azetidine nitrone - Azirine N-oxidePublikationsverlauf
Eingereicht: 20. Juli 2025
Angenommen nach Revision: 24. August 2025
Accepted Manuscript online:
24. August 2025
Artikel online veröffentlicht:
18. September 2025
© 2025. Thieme. All rights reserved.
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Representative reviews:
Recent reviews:
Recent reviews on azetidine synthesis:
Azetidine formation via aziridines: