The practical synthesis of important natural polyphenolic stilbenes, including resveratrol, piceatannol and oxyresveratrol, through Perkin methodology is described. Starting from 3, 5- dihydoxyacetophenone (1), the common intermediate 3, 5-dimethoxyphenylacetic acid (3) can be obtained via methylation and Willgerodt–Kindler reaction. Perkin condensations between (3) and substituted phenylaldehydes 4 furnished E-2, 3-diarylacrylic acids 5, ...
