2-Furanone

Names Preferred IUPAC name Other names Identifiers 383585 ChEBI ChEMBL ChemSpider ECHA InfoCard 100.007.128 Edit this at Wikidata EC Number 773828 KEGG MeSH butenolide UNII Properties C₄H₄O₂ Molar mass 84.07336 Density 1.185 g/cm³, liquid Melting point 4 to 5 °C (39 to 41 °F; 277 to 278 K)^[1] Boiling point 86 to 87 °C (187 to 189 °F; 359 to 360 K) 12 mm Hg^[1]

2-Furanone is a heterocyclic organic compound. It is also known as γ-crotonolactone (GCL), as it is formally the lactone derived from γ-hydroxyisocrotonic acid. The chemical is colloquially called "butenolide", and is the parent structure for the butenolide class of compounds. It is a colourless liquid.

2-Furanone is prepared by oxidation of furfural:^[2]

It exists in equilibrium with the tautomer 2-hydroxyfuran, which serves as an intermediate in the interconversion between the β- and α-furanones.^{[further explanation needed ]} The β form is the more stable. The interconversion is catalyzed by base.

2-Furanones can be converted to furans by a two-step process of reduction followed by dehydration.

Furanone is thought to contribute to the unique taste of Maple syrup.

• Category:Furanones, various substituted structural analogs
• Pyrone, which has one more carbon atom in the ring