Microwave Assisted Suzuki Reactions for the Preparation of the Antifungal 3-Aryl-5-methyl-2,5-dihydrofuran-2-ones

The Suzuki cross-coupling reaction of arylboronic acids with a bromo-furanone has been developed to prepare a series of substituted 2,5-dihydrofuran-2-ones related to the fungal metabolite, incrustoporin. A protocol of microwave heating was introduced to improve synthesis throughput.