Nucleophilic Reactions of Cyclobutenones and the Related 4,4‐Dichlorocyclobutenone Derivatives

Cyclobutenones have uninterrupted attention as useful synthons in the synthesis of complex organic molecules. Much of that interest is directed toward strain‐release reactions, a result of the inherent ring‐strain four‐membered ring exacerbated by the embedded enone functionality in the cyclobutenone framework. Little attention is paid to the nucleophilic reactions of the cyclobutenone nucleus and their 4,4‐dichloro analogs. These reactions are often found dispersed in literature, and this review is our attempt to bring these reactions to the attention of the synthesis organic chemistry community.