Flavone was found to inhibit tyrosinase and reduce synthesis of melanin to show skin-lightening effect. With the hope of identifying skin-lightening flavones, we synthesized flavone analogs. Substituted benzoic acids (1) were treated with oxalyl chloride in DMF to yield benzoyl chlorides (2), which were reacted with 2-hydroxyacetophenones (3) to afford 2-benzoyloxyacetophenones (4). These acetophenones (4) were converted into 1,3-diketones (5) with base and then treated with acid to give flavone derivatives (6).