Oxirane is a three-membered ring compound consisting of one oxygen atom and two carbon atoms. Oxirane is present in natural products such as cryptocin, which has anticancer properties, and azidomycin, trienone, and epoxidomycin, which have shown activity against drug-resistant leukemias and AIDS-related lymphomas. Other oxirane containing bioactive molecules have anti-inflammatory, immunosuppressive, and antitumor activities. Oxiranes are a strained ring susceptible to various nucleophilic, ring-opening or rearrangement reactions, so they are considered to be one of the most important intermediates in organic synthesis.
Boronic acids and boronate esters are commonly used reagents in Suzuki–Miyaura coupling chemistry. Organoboron derivatives are common reagents for C–C bond formation, either through classical palladium-mediated transformations or through other newer coupling methods. Boronic esters and acids are potential intermediates in the manufacture of many active pharmaceutical ingredients (API).