Synthesis and structural confirmation of natural 1,3-diarylpropanes

1-(4'-Hydroxy-5'-methyl-2'-methoxyphenyl)-3-propane(7), 1,3-diarylpropane isolated from Iryanthera laevis, 1-(4'-hydroxy-2'-methoxyphenyl)-3-(4"-hydroxyphenyl)propane (2, broussonin B) and 1-(2' -hydroxy-4'-methoxyphenyl)-3-(4"-hydroxyphenyl)propane (1, broussonin A), isolated from Broussonetia papyrifera Vent. (Moraceae), and 1-(2',4'-dimethoxyphenyl)-3- (4"-hydroxyphenyl )propane, a synthetic product prepared by catalytic hydrogenation of 4-0-benzyl-2',4'-dimethoxychalcone, were synthesized. The synthetic pathway employed in this work involved the catalytic hydrogenation of chalcones obtained by base condensation of acetophenones and benzaldehydes.