Oxidative cleavage of tertiary cyclobutanols. A new synthetic approach to 1,4-ketols and 1,4-diketones

The reaction of tertiary cyclobutanols with Jones reagent under mild conditions resulted in the oxidative cleavage of the cyclobutane ring to give, depending on the substitution pattern of the starting alcohol, a 1,4-ketol or a 1,4-diketone.