Abstract: | 6‐Methoxyflavone ( 7 ) easily afforded two hydrodimers of rac‐6,6Prime;‐dimethoxy‐2,2″‐biflavanone ( 8a ) and meso‐6,6″‐dimethoxy‐2,2″‐biflavanone ( 8b ) and one reductive product of 6‐methoxyflavanone ( 9 ) by using photolysis with the electron‐donating amines including triethylamine, 2‐(N,N‐dimethylamino)ethanol or N,N‐dimethylaniline in solvents of acetonitrile, benzene or methylene dichloride. They were found to give higher yields of rac‐6,6″‐dimethoxy‐2,2″‐biflavanone ( 8a ) and meso‐6,6″‐dimethoxy‐2,2″‐biflavanone ( 8b ) (38.7% and 4.5%, 35.3% and 6.2%, respectively) in the reaction conditions of 1/10 molar ratio of 6‐methoxy‐flavone ( 7 ) to triethylamine in a solvent of acetonitrile with irradiation of twenty‐four hours by using 306 nm and 352 nm lamps. |