Nine 10-arylidene anthrones were synthesized from anthrone and aryl aldehydes in xylene using pyridine as catalyst and p-t-butylphenol as an antioxidant. The higher yields of the nine title compounds were achieved due to adding p-t-butylphenol in the reaction system which could significantly avoid formation of anthraquinone, the main by-product of the reaction, leading a troublesome procedure for product purification.
