chromone

Chromone is a heterocyclic organic compound that serves as the core skeleton for a large family of natural products and synthetic derivatives. Structurally, chromone comprises a benzene ring fused to a γ-pyrone ring, forming a benzopyranone system. The bicyclic arrangement provides a flat, highly conjugated framework that supports diverse chemical modification.

In chemistry and natural product biosynthesis, the chromone nucleus is found in numerous chromone derivatives and in flavonoids, where a phenyl group is often attached to the chromone core. Substitution on the benzene ring and on the pyrone ring yields a wide range of compounds with differing physical properties and biological activities. The chromone framework is thus a common building block in medicinal chemistry and natural product synthesis.

Synthesis and reactivity of chromones rely on assembling the pyrone ring onto a prefunctionalized benzene system. Common approaches feature cyclization of o-hydroxyaryl carbonyl compounds with β-dicarbonyl partners or oxidative cyclization of dihydrochromenes. The pyrone ring can participate in various condensations and substitutions on both rings, enabling the preparation of many substituted chromones.

Applications and significance: Chromones and their derivatives are studied for a variety of biological activities, including anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiviral, antioxidant, and anticancer effects. As synthetic scaffolds, chromones are used to develop new flavonoids and other bioactive compounds. Their planar, conjugated structure also makes them useful in materials science and dye chemistry in some contexts.