Recent Developments in γ-Lactone Synthesis

In recent years, several classes of biologically active molecules containing the γ-lactone ring, pesticides, plant and fungal growth inhibitors, and antibiotics have been found. Thus the synthesis of substituted dihydrofuran-2(3H) ones is a continuously developing area. Few general synthetic approaches to their stereoselective synthesis with broad structural variety are known. This article reviews the latest developments in the synthesis of γ-butyrolactones. We focus on the ring-closing steps and pay special attention to how different authors obtain the correspondent 4-hydroxycarbonyl compound; an acyclic synthon for the γ-lactone ring.