Palladium‐Catalyzed Ring‐Opening Diarylation of Cyclobutanols for the Synthesis of Acylindanes

Abstract A method for the construction of the indane skeleton through palladium‐catalyzed ring‐opening diarylation of Cyclobutanols with aryl 1,2‐dihalides has been described. The ring‐expansion reaction involves β‐carbon elimination of Cyclobutanols and subsequent α‐carbon arylation of ketone to give 2‐acylindanes in 42–93% yields.