Chalcone is the organic compound C6H5C(O)CH=CHC6H5. It is an α,β-unsaturated ketone. A variety of important biological compounds are known collectively as chalcones or chalconoids.[3] They are widely known bioactive substances, fluorescent materials, and chemical intermediates.
This reaction, which can be carried out without any solvent, is so reliable that it is often given as an example of green chemistry in undergraduate education.[7]
Chalcones and their derivatives demonstrate a wide range of biological activities including anti-inflammation.[8] Some 2′-amino chalcones have been studied as potential antitumor agents.[9][10] Chalcones are of interest in medicinal chemistry and have been described as a privileged scaffold.[5]
^Tomás-Barberán, Francisco A.; Clifford, Michael N. (2000). "Flavanones, Chalcones and Dihydrochalcones - Nature, Occurrence and Dietary Burden". Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. 80 (7): 1073–1080. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1097-0010(20000515)80:7<1073::AID-JSFA568>3.0.CO;2-B.
^Song, Dong-mee; Jung, Kyoung-Hoon; Moon, Ji-hye; Shin, Dong-Myung (2003). "Photochemistry of chalcone and the application of chalcone-derivatives in photo-alignment layer of liquid crystal display". Optical Materials. 21 (1–3): 667–71. Bibcode:2003OptMa..21..667S. doi:10.1016/S0925-3467(02)00220-3.