Easy preparation of a cyclobutanone ketal via a radical cyclization. The gem-dialkoxy effect

A new method for the facile synthesis of cyclobutanones, the key step of which is a radical cyclization to generate the four-membered ring, is reported. In addition, a comparison of the gem-dialkyl and gem-dialkoxy effects in radical cyclizations to give cyclobutane systems shows that in this system the gem-dialkoxy effect is the larger.