Abstract Recently we became aware of a communication describing a very simple synthesis of cyclobutanes. Sands1) claimed to have obtained substituted methyl cyclobutanecarboxy- lates by aluminium chloride catalyzed reaction of methyl aerylate with olefins, such as isobutylene, 2-methyl-2-butene, tetramethylethylene, 4-methyl-2-butene (?) and 2, 3- dimethyl-1-butene. This synthesis of cyclobutanes seemed amazingly simple, but ...
