The Paternò-Büchi reaction of 3-heteroatom-substituted alkenes as a stereoselective entry to polyfunctional cyclic and acyclic molecules

The preparation of 3-heteroatom-substituted oxetanes by the Paternò-Büchi reaction, and their application in synthesis are reviewed. 3-Oxetanols and 3-aminooxetanes are the two most important oxetanes in this respect. By tuning the electronic properties of the enol and enamine substrates, a successful photocycloaddition to carbonyl compounds, with high yield, is possible. Since the oxetane formation proceeds stereoselectively, diastereomerically pure products are readily accessible, which can then be used in further transformations. To this end, regioselective ring-opening reactions have been developed, some of which will be discussed in this account.