We have developed a highly atom efficient synthesis of tetrasubstituted 3(2H)-furanones from easily accessible starting materials such as C,N-diarylaldonitrones and dibenzoylacetylene. Control experiments revealed that reaction aldonitrones having electron-withdrawing groups on the C-aryl substituent in polar aprotic solvents exhibited high product selectivity while temperature has only negligi...

The reaction of dibenzoylacetylene with 4-alkylaminocoumarins in THF/H2O (50:50) lead to 4-(alkylamino)-3-(1,4-dioxo-1,4-diphenylbut-2-en-2-yl)-2H-chromen-2-one derivatives in good yields. When the reaction carried-out in DMSO the cyclized products 2-hydroxy-1-alkyl-3-(2-oxo-2-phenylethylidene)-2-phenyl-2,3-dihydrochromeno [4,3-b] pyrrol-4(1H)-ones were formed in good yields.