2-Cyclopentenone is the
organic compound
Some chemical authorities define an organic compound as a chemical compound that contains a carbon–hydrogen or carbon–carbon bond; others consider an organic compound to be any chemical compound that contains carbon. For example, carbon-co ...
with the
chemical formula
A chemical formula is a way of presenting information about the chemical proportions of atoms that constitute a particular chemical compound or molecule, using chemical element symbols, numbers, and sometimes also other symbols, such as pare ...
. 2-Cyclopentenone contains two functional groups, a ketone and an alkene. It is a colorless liquid. Its isomer, 3-cyclopentenone is less commonly encountered.
The term cyclopentenone may also refer to a
structural motif
In a chain-like biological molecule, such as a protein or nucleic acid, a structural motif is a common three-dimensional structure that appears in a variety of different, evolutionarily unrelated molecules. A structural motif does not have t ...
wherein the cyclopentenone
moiety is a subunit of a larger molecule. Cyclopentenones are found in a large number of
natural product
A natural product is a natural compound or substance produced by a living organism—that is, found in nature. In the broadest sense, natural products include any substance produced by life. Natural products can also be prepared by chemical s ...
s, including
jasmone, the
aflatoxin
Aflatoxins are various toxicity, poisonous carcinogens and mutagens that are produced by certain Mold (fungus), molds, especially ''Aspergillus'' species such as ''Aspergillus flavus'' and ''Aspergillus parasiticus''. According to the USDA, "The ...
s, and several
prostaglandin
Prostaglandins (PG) are a group of physiology, physiologically active lipid compounds called eicosanoids that have diverse hormone-like effects in animals. Prostaglandins have been found in almost every Tissue (biology), tissue in humans and ot ...
s.
Synthesis
2-Cyclopentenones can be synthesized in a number of ways. One of the routes involves elimination of α-
bromo-
cyclopentanone
Cyclopentanone is the organic compound with the formula (CH2)4CO. This cyclic ketone is a colorless volatile liquid.
Preparation
Ketonic decarboxylation of adipic acid gives cyclopentanone. The reaction is conducted at elevated temperatures in t ...
using
lithium carbonate
Lithium carbonate is an inorganic compound, the lithium salt of carbonic acid with the chemical formula, formula . This white Salt (chemistry), salt is widely used in processing metal oxides. It is on the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines, Wor ...
and
Claisen condensation
The Claisen condensation is a carbon–carbon bond forming reaction that occurs between two esters or one ester and another carbonyl compound in the presence of a strong base. The reaction produces a β-keto ester or a β- diketone. It is named ...
-
decarboxylation
Decarboxylation is a chemical reaction that removes a carboxyl group and releases carbon dioxide (CO2). Usually, decarboxylation refers to a reaction of carboxylic acids, removing a carbon atom from a carbon chain. The reverse process, which is ...
-
isomerization
In chemistry, isomerization or isomerisation is the process in which a molecule, polyatomic ion or molecular fragment is transformed into an isomer with a different chemical structure. Enolization is an example of isomerization, as is tautomer ...
cascades of unsaturated
diesters as shown below.

The acid-catalyzed dehydration of cyclopentanediols affords cyclopentenone.
As a functional group, the synthesis of 2-cyclopentenones is accomplished in a variety of other ways, including the
Nazarov cyclization reaction from
divinyl ketones,
Saegusa–Ito oxidation from
cyclopentanone
Cyclopentanone is the organic compound with the formula (CH2)4CO. This cyclic ketone is a colorless volatile liquid.
Preparation
Ketonic decarboxylation of adipic acid gives cyclopentanone. The reaction is conducted at elevated temperatures in t ...
s,
ring-closing metathesis
Ring-closing metathesis (RCM) is a widely used variation of olefin metathesis in organic chemistry for the synthesis of various Saturated and unsaturated compounds, unsaturated rings via the intramolecular olefin metathesis, metathesis of two term ...
from the corresponding
diene
In organic chemistry, a diene ( ); also diolefin, ) or alkadiene) is a covalent compound that contains two double bonds, usually among carbon atoms. They thus contain two alk''ene'' units, with the standard prefix ''di'' of systematic nome ...
s,
oxidation
Redox ( , , reduction–oxidation or oxidation–reduction) is a type of chemical reaction in which the oxidation states of the reactants change. Oxidation is the loss of electrons or an increase in the oxidation state, while reduction is ...
of the corresponding cyclic
allylic alcohols, and the
Pauson–Khand reaction from
alkene
In organic chemistry, an alkene, or olefin, is a hydrocarbon containing a carbon–carbon double bond. The double bond may be internal or at the terminal position. Terminal alkenes are also known as Alpha-olefin, α-olefins.
The Internationa ...
s,
alkyne
\ce
\ce
Acetylene
\ce
\ce
\ce
Propyne
\ce
\ce
\ce
\ce
1-Butyne
In organic chemistry, an alkyne is an unsaturated hydrocarbon containing at least one carbon—carbon triple bond. The simplest acyclic alkynes with only one triple bond and n ...
s, and
carbon monoxide
Carbon monoxide (chemical formula CO) is a poisonous, flammable gas that is colorless, odorless, tasteless, and slightly less dense than air. Carbon monoxide consists of one carbon atom and one oxygen atom connected by a triple bond. It is the si ...
.
Reactions
As an
enone, 2-cyclopentenone undergoes the typical reactions of α-β unsaturated ketones, including
nucleophilic conjugate addition, the
Baylis–Hillman reaction, and the
Michael reaction. Cyclopentenone also functions as an excellent
dienophile in the
Diels–Alder reaction
In organic chemistry, the Diels–Alder reaction is a chemical reaction between a Conjugated system, conjugated diene and a substituted alkene, commonly termed the Diels–Alder reaction#The dienophile, dienophile, to form a substituted cyclohexe ...
, reacting with a wide variety of
diene
In organic chemistry, a diene ( ); also diolefin, ) or alkadiene) is a covalent compound that contains two double bonds, usually among carbon atoms. They thus contain two alk''ene'' units, with the standard prefix ''di'' of systematic nome ...
s. In one example, a
Danishefsky-type diene is reacted with a cyclopentenone to yield a fused tricyclic system en route to the synthesis of coriolin.
Occurrence
It has been isolated from pressure-cooked pork
liver
The liver is a major metabolic organ (anatomy), organ exclusively found in vertebrates, which performs many essential biological Function (biology), functions such as detoxification of the organism, and the Protein biosynthesis, synthesis of var ...
by simultaneous steam
distillation
Distillation, also classical distillation, is the process of separating the component substances of a liquid mixture of two or more chemically discrete substances; the separation process is realized by way of the selective boiling of the mixt ...
and continuous
solvent extraction
A solvent (from the Latin language, Latin ''wikt:solvo#Latin, solvō'', "loosen, untie, solve") is a substance that dissolves a solute, resulting in a Solution (chemistry), solution. A solvent is usually a liquid but can also be a solid, a gas ...
.
[
]
Related compounds
* cyclopropenone
*cyclobutenone
* cyclohexenone
*cycloheptenone
References
{{reflist
Enones
Cyclopentenes