STEREOSELECTIVE SYNTHESIS OF OPTICALLY-ACTIVE DISUBSTITUTED AND TRISUBSTITUTED OXETANONES AS CHIRAL DOPANTS TO INDUCE FERROELECTRICITY IN LIQUID-CRYSTALS

Optically active 3-hydroxybutyric and 3-hydroxyhexanoic acids were tra nsformed into 3,4-disubstituted and 3,3,4-trisubstituted 2-oxetanones using two different approaches. Diastereoselective alkylation was perf ormed either on dioxanone enolates or on lithoxy-lithium enolates. Som e recently published unexpected results of alkylation of substituted d ioxanones were used for the synthesis of a trisubstituted oxetanone.