Catalytic asymmetric nucleophilic openings of 3-substituted oxetanes

Abstract

Asymmetric ring-opening of 3-substituted oxetanes provides rapid access to highly functionalized chiral building blocks. However, progress in this field is limited. Recently we developed a new catalytic system based on chiral Brønsted acids for this type of reaction and demonstrated the synthesis of a range of useful molecules under mild and operationally simple conditions. In this perspective, we describe the challenges, progress, and potential future efforts on this topic.