A facile one-pot synthesis of 4,5-diaryl-2,2-dimethyl-3(2H)-furanones

An efficient and practical one-pot synthesis of 4,5-diaryl-2,2-dimethyl-3(2H)-furanones has been achieved from 1,2-diarylethanones and 2-bromoisobutyryl cyanide in the presence of excess base, by employing the 'hard soft acid base' principle. The reaction scope of 2-bromoisobutyryl cyanide could be expanded to prepare a variety of 2,2-dimethyl-3(2H)-furanone derivatives other than 4,5-diaryl-2,2-dimethyl-3(2H)-furanones.