Pyrones or pyranones are a class of
heterocyclic
A heterocyclic compound or ring structure is a cyclic compound that has atoms of at least two different elements as members of its ring(s). Heterocyclic organic chemistry is the branch of organic chemistry dealing with the synthesis, proper ...
chemical compounds. They contain an
unsaturated six-membered ring, which has one oxygen atom and a
carbonyl
In organic chemistry, a carbonyl group is a functional group with the formula , composed of a carbon atom double bond, double-bonded to an oxygen atom, and it is divalent at the C atom. It is common to several classes of organic compounds (such a ...
functional group
In organic chemistry, a functional group is any substituent or moiety (chemistry), moiety in a molecule that causes the molecule's characteristic chemical reactions. The same functional group will undergo the same or similar chemical reactions r ...
.
There are two isomers, denoted as
2-pyrone
2-Pyrone (α-pyrone or pyran-2-one) is an Saturated and unsaturated compounds, unsaturated cyclic chemical compound with the molecule, molecular formula C5H4O2. It is isomeric with 4-pyrone.
2-Pyrone is used in organic synthesis as a building blo ...
and
4-pyrone. The 2-pyrone (or α-pyrone) structure is a
lactone
Lactones are cyclic carboxylic esters. They are derived from the corresponding hydroxycarboxylic acids by esterification. They can be saturated or unsaturated.
Lactones are formed by lactonization, the intramolecular esterification of the corresp ...
and is found in nature as part of the
coumarin
Coumarin () or 2''H''-chromen-2-one is an aromatic organic chemical compound with formula . Its molecule can be described as a benzene molecule with two adjacent hydrogen atoms replaced by an unsaturated lactone ring , forming a second six-me ...
ring system. The 4-pyrone (or γ-pyrone) structure is an
ether
In organic chemistry, ethers are a class of compounds that contain an ether group, a single oxygen atom bonded to two separate carbon atoms, each part of an organyl group (e.g., alkyl or aryl). They have the general formula , where R and R†...
–
ketone
In organic chemistry, a ketone is an organic compound with the structure , where R and R' can be a variety of carbon-containing substituents. Ketones contain a carbonyl group (a carbon-oxygen double bond C=O). The simplest ketone is acetone ( ...
found in some natural chemical compounds such as
chromone,
maltol
Maltol is a naturally occurring organic compound that is used primarily as a flavor enhancer. It is found in nature in the bark of larch trees and in the needles of pine trees, and is produced during the roasting of malt (from which it gets its n ...
and
kojic acid
Kojic acid is an organic compound with the formula . It is a derivative of 4-Pyrone, 4-pyrone that functions in nature as a chelation agent produced by several species of fungus, especially ''Aspergillus oryzae'', which has the Japanese common na ...
.
See also
*
Furanone
2-Furanone is a heterocyclic organic compound. It is also known as γ-crotonolactone (GCL), as it is formally the lactone derived from γ-hydroxy isocrotonic acid. The chemical is colloquially called "butenolide", and is the parent structure for ...
, 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
{{heterocyclic-stub