Small Ring Compounds and N-oxides: Cycloadditions and Related Processes

The review discusses the possibilities for reactions of small ring compounds (cyclopropanes, cyclobutanes, and their heteroanalogs) with various N-oxides (nitrones, nitronates, nitrile oxides, etc.). Two major paths include: formal cycloadditions of small cycles with N-oxide possessing dipoles, and [3+2] cycloadditions of small cyclic alkenes with N-oxides, followed by N-O bond cleavage-assisted rearrangement/ring opening.