Synthesis of 3-alkenyl-2-arylchromones and 2,3-dialkenylchromones via acid-catalysed retro-Michael ring opening of 3-acylchroman-4-ones

3-Acylchromones and 3-acylflavones, readily available by acylation of 2′-hydroxydibenzoylmethane with acid anhydrides in the presence of base, undergo efficient conjugate reduction with NaBH4 in pyridine to give the corresponding chroman-4-ones/flavanones in high yields. The reduction is both regio- and chemoselective. Treatment of the chroman-4-ones with MeSO3H generates the 3-alkenyl-2-arylchromones by a dehydrative rearrangement initiated by retro-Michael cleavage of the pyranone ring. This reduction–rearrangement sequence can be extended to 2-alkyl-3-alkenoylchromones to generate 3-alkenyl-2-styrylchromones, the first examples of 2,3-dialkenylchromones.