Inverse‐Electron‐Demand Diels–Alder Reactions of 2‐Pyrones: Bridged Lactones and Beyond

Inverse‐electron‐demand Diels–Alder (IEDDA) reactions of electron‐poor 2‐pyrones as electrophilic dienes have been extensively studied in the past fifty years. These reactions provide an efficient access to bridged bicyclic lactones and their derivatives, such as densely functionalized 1,3‐cyclohexadienes after CO2 extrusion and polysubstituted aromatic compounds through elimination. This reaction has been used for the synthesis of many biologically active natural products and drug candidates. In this review, the developments of these IEDDA reactions including non‐catalytic, Lewis acid‐catalyzed and organocatalytic IEDDA reactions, and their applications in total synthesis are discussed in detail. Inverse‐electron‐demand Diels–Alder (IEDDA) reactions of electrophilic 2‐pyrones as dienes have been extensively studied in the past. In this review, the developments of these IEDDA reactions including non‐catalytic, Lewis acid‐catalyzed and organocatalytic IEDDA reactions, and their applications in the total synthesis of natural products and drug candidates are discussed.