Photooxidation of 2-furylcarbinols followed by reduction with triphenylphosphine afforded 6-hydroxy-2H-pyran-3(6H)-ones in excellent yield. The method was applied to synthesis of 6-undecyltetrahydro-2-pyrone, a pheromone of Vespa orientalis.
KUO, YUCH-HEIUNG;SHIH, KAE-SHYANG, HETEROCYCLES, 31,(1990) N1, C. 1941-1949