Synthesis of five-, six-, and seven-membered heterocycles by intramolecular ring opening reactions of 3-oxetanol derivatives

Intramolecular ring opening reactions of 2-phenyl-3-oxetanols have been studied. The starting materials were prepared by the photocycloaddition of benzaldehyde and various silyl enol ethers. The intramolecular nucleophile was either incorporated into the silyl enol ether prior to the Paterno-Buchi reaction (oxetanes 3, 16) or was later installed by functional group interconversion (oxetanes 5. 12). With anionic heteroatom nucleophiles (O, N, S) which were attached to the carbon atom C-3 of the trimethylsilyl-protected oxetanol via an alkyl chain, a substitution at the less substituted position C-4 was observed and the corresponding heterocycles (6, 8, 13, 19) were obtained in moderate to good yields (52-91%). Upon acid catalysis a ring opening of the Boc-protected 3-oxetanol 23 to cyclic carbonates occurred. The reaction did not proceed stereospecifically and resulted in a mixture of diastereomeric products 24 and 25.