Potassium base-catalyzed redox isomerization of propargylic alcohols to chalcones

Abstract

Chalcone derivatives are frequently found in bioactive compounds, natural products, and pharmaceuticals. In this study, we developed a KO t Bu/DMF catalytic system to efficiently synthesize chalcone derivatives by isomerizing propargylic alcohols bearing aryl substituents at the 1- and 3-positions. Mechanistic investigations confirmed that a 1,3-hydride shift was the key process for the successful reaction. Our method does not involve the use of transition metals and possesses economic and environmental benefits.