Chalcone (One of the easiest syntheses ever)

There really isn't that much to this one, but I've always loved the name, and it's really easy to make: chalcone.

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You can actually make chalcones with no solvent at all by just mixing aldehyde, ketone, and base in a mortar and pestle. Like Ritz mock apple pie, it's fun to try at least once, even if you don't have any use for it.

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There is also an interesting biological side to this: Chalcone is the precursor of flower pigments in many plants, and overexpression of the chalcone-producing enzyme chalcone synthase led to the discovery of RNAi!