B. Torok et A. Molnar, GENERAL-SYNTHESIS OF METHYL-CYCLOBUTANES AND DIMETHYL-CYCLOBUTANES FROM SIMPLE 1,3-DIOLS BY PHASE-TRANSFER CATALYSIS, Journal of the Chemical Society. Perkin transactions. I, (7), 1993, pp. 801-804
A general method is described for the preparation of methyl- and dimet
hyl-cyclobutanes from simple 1,3-diols. The key steps of the procedure
are a phase transfer catalysed ring closure and the transformation of
a carboxyl group to a methyl group. Phase transfer catalysis provides
good yields in the synthesis of the cyclobutane skeleton.