Friedel-Crafts arylation reactions of N-sulfonyl aldimines or sulfonamidesulfones with electron-rich arenes catalyzed by FeCl3 x 6 H2O: synthesis of triarylmethanes and bis-heteroarylarylmethanes.

The FeCl(3) x 6H(2)O-catalyzed Friedel-Crafts arylation reactions of N-sulfonyl aldimines or sulfonamidesulfones with electron-rich arenes and heteroarenes, which lead to the formation of triarylmethanes and bis-heteroarylarylmethanes, are developed. The use of mild reaction conditions, low catalytic loading, high yield, and single step synthesis are the advantages of the present procedure.