Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 10, 2026

Pyrone

Pyrones or pyranones are a class of heterocyclic chemical compounds. They contain an unsaturated six-membered ring, which has one oxygen atom and a carbonyl functional group. There are two isomers, denoted as 2-pyrone and 4-pyrone. The 2-pyrone structure is a lactone and is found in nature as part of the coumarin ring system. The 4-pyrone structure is an ether–ketone found in some natural chemical compounds such as chromone, maltol and kojic acid.

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Pyrones or pyranones are a class of heterocyclic chemical compounds. They contain an unsaturated six-membered ring, which has one oxygen atom and a carbonyl functional group.1 There are two isomers, denoted as 2-pyrone and 4-pyrone. The 2-pyrone (or α-pyrone) structure is a lactone and is found in nature as part of the coumarin ring system. The 4-pyrone (or γ-pyrone) structure is an etherketone found in some natural chemical compounds such as chromone, maltol and kojic acid.

3-pyrones are zwitterionic, unstable carbonyl ylides. They intermediate some cycloadditions.2

See also

See also

  • Furanone, which has one fewer carbon atom in the ring.
  • Pyridones, which contain a nitrogen in place of the oxygen that is part of the ring
References

References

  1. Streitwieser, Andrew Jr.; Heathcock, Clayton H. (1985). Introduction to Organic Chemistry (Third ed.). pp. 1038–1040. ISBN 978-0-02-418140-4.
  2. Taber, Douglass F. (July 6, 2020). "The Li synthesis of vinigrol". Organic Chemistry Highlights.