Abstract The 1-(benzyloxy) azetidines 7a-c and 16a, b were synthesized by reductive cyclization of the corresponding oximes 5a-c and 14a-d. Oxidation of the 1- hydroxyazetidines 8a-c and 17 with PbO 2 afforded the corresponding four-membered cyclic nitrones 18a-c and the bicyclic four-membered nitrones 18d and 18e, which were characterized as the cycloadducts 19a-c and 20 by reaction with dimethyl ...