Brönsted acid-catalyzed synthesis of diarylmethanes under non-genotoxic conditions

Triflic acid and triflimide were found to efficiently catalyze the formation of a wide diversity of diarylmethanes from the non-genotoxic benzylic acetates and electron-rich arenes or heteroarenes. The reaction worked best with acetates capable of generating a stabilized benzylic cationic species. In most cases, the reactions were conveniently run in the absence of solvent under mild conditions.