An efficient synthesis of carboxaldehyde derivatives of 4H-pyran-4-one

We developed a general method for the synthesis of various 2-mono- and 2,6-di-carboxaldehyde substituted derivatives of 3,5-diphenyl-4H-pyran-4-one and 4H-pyran-4-one. 3,5-Diphenyl-6-methyl-4-oxo-4H-pyran-2-carboxaldehyde (4a), 6-methyl-4-oxo-4H-pyran-2-carboxaldehyde (4b), 3,5-diphenyl-4-oxo-4H-pyran-2,6-dicarboxaldehyde (5a), 4-oxo-4H-pyran-2,6-dicarboxaldehyde (5b), 3,5-diphenyl-6-hydroxymethyl-4-oxo-4H-pyran-2-carboxaldehyde (10a), and 6-hydroxymethyl-4-oxo-4H-pyran-2-carboxaldehyde (10b) were obtained from the corresponding di-, tri-, and tetra-bromo derivatives of 2,6-dimethyl-3,5-diphenyl-4H-pyran-4-one (1a) and 2,6-dimethyl-4H-pyran-4-one (1b) by treatment with silver acetate followed by hydrolysis. Compounds 4a and 4b were also obtained by the oxidation of 10a and 10b with barium manganate.Key words: 4H-pyran-4-one, hydroxymethyl and carboxaldehyde derivatives, acetoxylation, hydrolysis, oxidation.