Abstract
(S)-γ-carboxymethylbutanolide (4) is a key oxidative degradation product of agrimonolide in the determination of the absolute configuration of the latter natural product.1 We wish to communicate a novel and symple one step preparation of racemic γ-carboxymethlbutanolide (2), resolution of which, and determination of the absolute configuration of the obtained (−)-γ-carboxymethylbutanolide (3).