A one-pot oxone-mediated/iodine-catalyzed oxidative rearrangement of stilbenes leading to 2,2-diary1-2-hydroxyacetaldehydes is described. Control experiments revealed that a 2,2-diarylacetaldehyde was initially formed that undergoes subsequent alpha-hydroxylation. The resulting alpha-hydroxyaldehydes have been subjected to a one-pot Still Gennari olefination followed by cyclization, leading to S,S-diaryl-y-butenolides.

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