Abstract In this paper, the Zn/NH 4 Cl/C 2 H 5 OH/H 2 O system was applied for the selective 1, 4-reduction of chalcones under mild conditions with high selectivity. The merit lies in inexpensive reagent, simple operation and environmental friendliness. The structures of the products were characterized by IR, 1 HNMR, MS spectra and elemental analysis. A possible mechanism is also suggested.
