Benzodioxanes are a class of isomeric compounds with the molecular formula C8H8O2. The three isomers of benzodioxane are 1,2-benzodioxane, 1,3-benzodioxane and 1,4-benzodioxane. 1,4-Benzodioxane has long been a versatile template widely used to design molecules with diverse biological activities. Its use spans past decades in medicinal chemistry to today, involving many drug discovery strategies, not excluding the most advanced ones. 1,4-Benzodioxane derivatives have been described as agonists and antagonists of nicotinic, alpha-adrenergic and 5-HT receptor subtypes. 1,4-Benzodioxane derivatives have been also reported as antitumor and antibacterial agents.
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.