Abstract
| - A catalytic pinacol coupling using water as a solvent wasperformed by a catalytic amount of vanadium(III) chlorideand metallic Al as a co-reductant. A combination forms abinary catalytic system, being in sharp contrast to thereaction in organic solvent, which requires a chlorosilaneas an additive. Various aromatic aldehydes underwent thereductive coupling to give the corresponding 1,2-diols inmoderate to good yields.
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