A simple and highly efficient method for the synthesis of chalcones by using borontrifluoride-etherate

Chalcones are secondary metabolites of terrestrial plants, precursors for the biosynthesis of flavonoids and exhibit various biological activities. Condensation of substituted acetophenones (2a–12a) with various aromatic aldehydes (1b–7b) in the presence of BF3–Et2O at room temperature gave chalcones in 75–96% yield.