Dihydrocoumarins play an important role as flavor and fragrance compounds and can be prepared efficiently from o-hydroxycinnamaldehydes in a mild, atom-economic N- heterocyclic carbene-catalyzed redox lactonization. Corresponding coumarins are accessible via a one-pot domino oxidation lactonization procedure in the presence of oxidants.
[Rioz-Martinez, Ana; De Gonzalo; Torres Pazmino, Daniel E.; Fraaije, Marco W.; Gotor, Vicente European Journal of Organic Chemistry, 2009 , # 15 p. 2526 - 2532]