Direct transformation of simple enals to 3,4-disubstituted benzaldehydes under mild reaction conditions via an organocatalytic regio- and chemoselective dimerization cascade

Straight to the point: An organocatalyzed, direct preparation of 3,4-disubstituted benzaldehydes from simple enals under mild conditions without the need for an additional oxidant has been developed. Notably, self-dimerization of an enal precursor and cross-dimerization of two distinct enals have been realized with high regio- and chemoselectivity to give structurally diverse 3,4-substituted benzaldehydes in good yields (76-99 %).