Synthesis of new 3,3-dimethoxyazetidine-2-carboxylic acid derivatives

Cyclization of γ-amino-α-bromocarboxylic esters resulted in an efficient synthesis of new 3,3-dimethoxyazetidine-2-carboxylates, that is, methyl N-t-butyl-3,3-dimethoxyazetidine-2-carboxylic ester and 3,3-dimethoxyazetidine-2-carboxylic acid, or 3-bromo-4,4-dimethoxypyrrolidin-2-ones, depending on the substituent at nitrogen. Reduction of the 3,3-dimethoxyazetidine-2-carboxylates gave the corresponding 3,3-dimethoxy-2-(hydroxymethyl)azetidines. These novel cyclic amino acid derivatives, available on multigram scale, have a suitably protected carbonyl function at the 3-position, which enables further functionalization.