Microwave-Assisted Synthesis of Phenylpropanoids and Coumarins: Total Synthesis of Osthol

Herein we describe a one-pot microwave-assisted method for the synthesis of cinnamic acid and coumarin derivatives. The synthesis begins with an aldehyde synthon, and the chosen reaction conditions determine whether a cinnamic acid or coumarin derivative is formed. A regioselective Claisen rearrangement was also efficiently incorporated into the synthetic sequence to further increase the complexity of the product. Notably, this approach provides high product yields and selectivities without the need of a phenol protecting group.