Abstract: Eighteen compounds of (E)-3-substituted-4-acyloxyphenylpropenoic acid were designed and synthesized, of which seventeen final target compounds had never been reported. Their chemical structures were determined by elementary analyses and IR as well as ¹H NMR, etc. Preliminary results of anticancer tests in vitro showed that compounds 3e, 3f, 3g,3h,3k,4h and 4j had significant anticancer activities on Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells at 0.3 mmol·L^-1 concentration.

Key words: (E)4-Aryloxyphenylpropenoic acid, (E)4-Aryloxyphenylpropenoic acid, Doebner reaction, Doebner reaction, Anticancer activity, Anticancer activity