CO/CO₂ as C1 building blocks: Unveiling new horizons in coumarin synthesis

The coumarin structure can be attributed to the fusion of a benzene ring with an α-pyrone ring. Coumarin is an important natural organic product that is widely present in nature and many commonly-used pharmaceuticals. It exhibits an extensive array of pharmacological and biological properties. The significance and widespread application of coumarin derivatives have sparked chemists' interest in developing efficient synthesis methods. Over the past few decades, various synthetic strategies have been developed for the efficient construction of coumarin derivatives. Among these, the utilization of CO/CO₂ as a C1 synthon has a significant potential. This review encompasses recent literature on the synthesis of coumarin derivatives using CO/CO₂ as a C1 building block, exploring the mechanisms, universality, and efficiency. These advances highlight the continuous development and optimization of synthetic strategies to create compounds containing diverse and complex coumarin structures, which is crucial for advancing research and development in synthetic and medicinal chemistry.