2-Aryl-substituted phosphono acetates can be readily synthesized by a four-step sequence
from the respective arenes. Succeeding Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons olefinations provide
stereoselectively the 2-aryl cinnamic acid esters even when sensitive moieties are
involved.
olefination - phosphorylation - acylation - Arbuzov reaction - Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons
reaction