Abstract: The phenyl lithium,2-methoxyphenyl lithium and 2,4-dimethoxyphenyl lithium reacted with the cinnamic acid to produce a corresponding chalcone in a good yield respectively,2,6-Dimethoxyphenyl lithium could not react with cinnamic acid,but reacted with methyl cinna-mate to produce 2',6'-dimethoxychalcone.Similarly,2',4',6'-trimethoxychalcone and 2',4',4,6'-tetramethoxychalcone were produceed in the same manner.2,4-Dimethoxyphenyl lithium and 2,4,6-trirnethoxyphenyl lithium can also react with 7-butyrolactone to produce 7-hydroxypropyl (2,4-dimethoxyphenyl) ketone and γ-hydroxypropyi (2,4,6-trimethoxyphenyl)ketone respectively.It is not found that the tertiary alcohol was formed in the cases.

Key words: Synthesis of chalcone, Lithium arylide, Csnnamic acid, γ-ButyroIactone