The renaissance of strained 1-azabicyclo[1.1.0]butanes as useful reagents for the synthesis of functionalized azetidines

Since their discovery in the late 1960s, 1-azabicyclo[1.1.0]butanes have demonstrated to be interesting precursors of azetidines, because of the peculiar reactivity of the C3–N bond that allows double functionalization in the 1,3 positions.

Dialkyl dicyanofumarates and dicyanomaleates as versatile building blocks for synthetic organic chemistry and mechanistic studies

The scope of applications of dialkyl dicyanofumarates and maleates as highly functionalized electron-deficient dipolarophiles, dienophiles and Michael acceptors is summarized. The importance for the studies on reaction mechanisms of cycloadditions is demonstrated. Multistep reactions with 1,2-diamines and β-aminoalcohols leading to diverse five- and six-membered heterocycles are discussed. Applications of dialkyl dicyanofumarates as oxidizing agents in the syntheses of disulfides and diselenides are described. The reactions with metallocenes leading to charge-transfer complexes with magnetic properties are also presented.