An expedient synthesis of cis/trans-1,3-disubstituted cyclobutanols

A two-step procedure is described to access 3-alkoxycyclobutanones from chloroacetyl chloride utilizing a step-wise [2+2] ketene cycloaddition followed by catalytic hydrogenation to reduce the a-chlorine in a single reaction sequence. The resulting cyclobutanones can be readily converted into a variety of cis or trans-1,3-disubstituted aminocyclobutanols and cyclobutanediols.