SiCl4-Zn induced reductive coupling of carbonyl compounds: novel and efficient routes for one-pot syntheses of 1,2,3-triaryl-2-propen-1-ones and pinacolones at room temperature

Reductive trimerization of aromatic aldehydes to 1,2,3-triaryl-2-propen-1-ones as well as tandem reductive coupling-rearrangements of aryl ketones to pinacolone analogues were efficiently achieved using SiCl4-Zn (TCS/Zn) at room temperature.