The invention discloses a (1R, 5R)-(-)-3-arylmethylene nopinone
ultraviolet absorbent and a preparation method thereof. The
ultraviolet absorbent is (1R, 5R)-(-)-3-(4'-hydroxylbenzylidene) nopinone, (1R, 5R)-(-)-3-(4'-hydroxyl-3'-methoxylbenzylidene) nopinone, (1R, 5R)-(-)-3-(2'-hydroxyl-3'-methoxylbenzylidene) nopinone, (1R, 5R)-(-)-3-(4'-chlorobenzylidene) nopinone or (1R, 5R)-(-)-3-(
furan-2'-ylbenzylidene) nopinone. The preparation method of the
ultraviolet absorbent comprises the following steps: beta-
pinene which is cheap and easy to get is taken as a
raw material; nopinone with a bicyclic structure similar with that of
camphor is obtained through selective oxidation; and the
aldol condensation is carried out on the nopinone and aromatic
aldehyde with a different structure so as to synthesize the ultraviolet absorbent. The preparation method has the advantages of simple synthetic
route, simplicity and convenience, and economy for operating, high yield, little
pollution and the like, and the defect that the
camphor has long synthetic
route, and high cost and the like is overcome. The synthesized ultraviolet absorbent has the advantages of good
ultraviolet absorption effect, wide range of
ultraviolet absorption spectrum and good stability and the like, and thus, the ultraviolet absorbent can have an excellent application prospect in
ultraviolet absorption.