Abstract 3-Arylmethylidenetetrahydrofuran-2, 4-diones were smoothly reduced to the corresponding 3-benzyl derivatives in 50–98% yield with triethylsilane in trifluoroacetic acid or with sodium cyanotrihydridoborate in the system tetrahydrofuran-2 N hydrochloric acid. The reduction of 3-(3-arylprop-2-en-1-ylidene)-tetrahydrofuran-2, 4-diones with sodium cyanotrihydridoborate gave 3-cinnamyltetrahydrofuran-2, 4-diones as the only products.
