An Expeditious Synthetic Route to Furolignans having Two Different Aryl Groups†

3,4-Dimethyl-2-piperonyl-5-veratrylfuran has been synthesized starting from vanillin and piperonal by employing as the key steps cross-coupling of a bromo β-oxo ester and the sodium salt of another β-oxo ester, affording a 1,4-diketone, and selective reductive removal of an allylic hydroxy group by palladium oxide.