Butenolides have good biological activity and serve as the important unit of pharmaceutical intermediates, of which γ-alkylidenebutenolides have gained wide attention over the last past decades particularly. A simple and practical method for the synthesis of butenolide 6 and its 5-substituted analogues 7a-t via vinylogous aldol reaction from 6-aminopenicillanic acid (6-APA) with the ratio of Z/E isomers between