2,5-Dimethyl-4-hydroxy-3(2H)-furanone (Furaneol®) from Methyl α-D-Glucopyranoside

An efficient synthesis of 2,5-dimethyl-4-hydroxy-3(2H)-furanone (Furaneol®), an important strawberry flavour, starting from the readily available and cheap methyl α-D-glucopyranoside is described

Acetoxymaleic Anhydride as Ketene Equivalent in the Diels-Alder Reaction

Acetoxymaleic anhydride (AMA) has been shown to be a versatile ketene equivalent in the Diels-Alder reaction for the conversion of 1,3-dienes into cyclohexanones. The new transformation has been applied to an alternate synthesis of methyl cis-dihydrojasmonate, an important jasmine fragrance, and to several model systems