This research work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 29902001) and the Department of Education of China.
A novel synthesis of polyfluoroalkyl substituted -butyrolactones from the reaction of polyfluoroalkyl iodides with 4-pentenoic acid initiated with sodium dithionite was realized in good yields.
A pair of Z and E isomers of cyclization of γ-ketoacid 7, which was prepared in six steps from 2,5-dimethoxyphenyl acetic acid 1, gave a pair of Z(20%) and E (4%) isomers of (2,5-dimethoxyphenyl)-methylene-butyrolact...