Synthesis of stilbene analogues by one-pot oxidation-Wittig and oxidation-Wittig–Heck reaction

Synthesis of symmetrical (and unsymmetrical) stilbene derivatives is achieved by a combination of one-pot steps of Kornblum type oxidation of benzyl halide, its simultaneous in situ formation of phosphonium salt, and subsequently their Wittig reaction. In other variant it is oxidized to aldehyde, treated with ylide generated from phosphonium salt (CH3PPh3X) to give styrene, and subjected to Pd catalyzed Heck reaction with arylhalide to give stilbenes as the three-step one-pot sequence.