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