Rapid Access to Licochalcone Type Derivatives in the Undergraduate Laboratory Setting (Part I)

Introducing undergraduate students to a safe and reliable Claisen rearrangement is now essential considering the ubiquity of this reaction in the literature and in introductory organic chemistry theory. While this reaction often requires long reaction times which are generally incompatible with the time allocated to an undergraduate laboratory, this reaction could be readily shortened and made safer using microwave irradiation. Using the syntheses of naturally occurring licochalcone A analogues as substrates to demonstrate such a reaction was shown to be ideal as chalcone chemistry is an integral part of many undergraduate chemistry teaching laboratories.