Preparation of aryl-substituted butenolides using mucohalic acids

摘要

Methods and materials for preparing 3-aryl-2-buten-4-olides and 2,3-bisaryl-2-buten-4-olides are disclosed. The methods include reacting a mucohalic acid with a reducing agent to give a 2,3-dihalo-2-buten-4-olide, which undergoes at least one Pd catalyzed cross-coupling reaction with an arylboronic acid.