Zinc-Catalyzed Synthesis of Functionalized Furans and Triarylmethanes from Enynones and Alcohols or Azoles: Dual XH Bond Activation by Zinc

Ba'zinc'ga! A zinc-catalyzed sequence involving a cyclization with a subsequent CO, CN, or CC bond formation enables the preparation of a variety of valuable furfuryl ethers (with alcohols) and unsymmetrically substituted triarylmethane derivatives (with azoles or arenes). ZnCl2 serves as the catalyst.