An ongoing research theme in the Snapper lab has been the evaluation of cyclobutenes as synthons for target oriented synthesis, mechanistic evaluation, and new reaction development. Functionalized cyclobutenes were used to rapidly assemble an eight member library of human cellular metabolites, 5-F2 –isoprostanes. The role of these compounds in biochemical processes that lead to disease will be evaluated in the future.Another application of functionalized cyclobutenes is ongoing in the context of the total synthesis of the dollabellane diterpene clavirolide B. Our approach relies on a series of cycloaddition and cycloreversion reactions which will provide the target in an efficient manner.
