Abstract
High‐yield reductive homocoupling of benzotrichloride and benzal chloride followed by consecutive reductive dechlorination to 1,2‐dichlorostilbene and stilbene is effected in the presence of sodium formate as the reducing agent and Pd/C catalysts.
Acknowledgments
We thank Marcela Haimberg and Michael Mogilnitsky from the MS laboratory at Makhteshim Chemical Works, Beer Sheva, for GCMS analysis and interpretation of several products in this study, and Frank Ling of University of California at Berkeley for editing this manuscript. The financial support from the Ministry of Science, Culture and Sport of Israel is highly appreciated.