Isoxazole is a liquid heterocyclic compound C3H3NO isomeric with oxazole and having a penetrating odor like that of pyridine. Isoxazoles belong to an important class of five-membered aromatic heterocycles containing two electronegative heteroatoms, nitrogen and oxygen, in a 1,2-relationship and three regular sp2 carbon atoms. These molecules are found to be key components in various synthetic products in daily use and also present as a pharmacophore essential for biological activity in many drugs and bioactive natural products. In addition, isoxazoles have demonstrated their ability to exhibit hydrogen bond donor/acceptor interactions with a variety of enzymes and receptors.
Oxygen heterocycles are one of the most common heterocycles in drugs and natural products. Oxetene has high polarity and is also a good acceptor for hydrogen bond, which contributes to the metabolism and chemical stability of its host molecules. When substituted for commonly used functional groups such as gem dimethyl or carbonyl, oxetane units can induce profound changes in water solubility, lipophilicity, metabolic stability and conformational preference. Four of the FDA-approved drugs contain oxetenes: Orlistat, Paclitaxel, and two of its derivatives, Docetaxel and Cabazitaxel. Currently, oxetane-containing building blocks are flourishing in medicinal chemistry and drug discovery.