Advances on the α- and β-Reactions of Deconjugated Butenolides

Abstract

Developing the construction methods of γ-lactone derivatives due to their anti-inflammatory, antitumor, anti-cancer and other biological activities has important value in organic synthesis. Among them, the deconjugated butenolides have shown great potential and advantages in the synthesis of γ-lactone derivatives. As the direct and efficient method, it has attracted more attentions of chemists, and is one of the hot topics of organic synthesis in recent years. The α- and β-reactions of deconjugated butenolides are reviewed, in which the characteristics of various reaction systems and the mechanisms of some reactions are discussed. At the same time, the future development is prospected in this field.