Tributylphosphine Catalyzed Cross Rauhut-Currier Reaction of Chalcones and Acrylates

Rauhut-Currier (RC) reaction is an effective atom-economic method to construct C-C bond. However, the application of this reaction is limited by the lack of selectivity. Herein, an efficient intermolecular cross Rauhut-Currier reaction between chalcones and acrylates in the presence of the tributylphosphine catalyst was developed, the reactions were carried out in mild conditions, and performed well with a series of substrates, delivering the desired products with acceptable to good yields.