Coumarins (benzopyran-2-ones) 1 constitute an important class of naturally occurring
compounds; they are widely used in the perfume, cosmetic, agrochemical and
pharmaceutical industries. Several coumarin derivatives have been synthetically prepared
and reported to possess cardiovascular, ageing, antibacterial and photosensitive
properties. The chemistry of coumarins has received much attention and is used by
chemists to develop several useful products.