An effective one-pot synthesis of 5-substituted tetronic acids.

An expeditious one-pot synthesis of 5-substituted tetronic acids from aldehydes and terminal conjugated alkyne as starting materials is described. The entire process embodies two consecutive chemical events: a catalytic domino reaction to build the 1,3-dioxolane scaffolds 5 and a two-step acid-catalyzed trans-acetalization-lactonization reaction to furnish the tetronic acid derivatives 6.