Synthesis of enantiomerically pure α-amino-β-hydroxy-cyclobutanone derivatives and their transformations into polyfunctional three- and five-membered ring compounds

Ketenes readily cycloadded to (R)-tert-butyldihydrooxazole to yield enantiomerically pure bicyclic cyclobutanones. The cycloadditions proceeded with unusual regiochemistry giving predominantly or exclusively protected α-amino-β-hydroxycyclobutanone derivatives. The adducts could be converted into a variety of interesting enantiopure intermediates equipped with many functional groups: α-amino-β-hydroxy cyclopropane carboxylic acid derivatives, α-amino-β-hydroxy succinic acid derivatives, α-amino-β-hydroxy lactones and lactams derivatives.