Rapid access to unsymmetrical tolanes and alkynones by sequentially palladium-catalyzed one-pot processes.

Alkynones as well as unsymmetrically substituted tolanes (diarylalkynes) can be rapidly generated in a one-pot fashion via sequential palladium catalysis. Terminal alkynes, formed in situ by protecting-group free palladium-catalyzed coupling of aryl iodides with ethynyl magnesium bromide, are subsequently transformed by Sonogashira coupling with aryl halides or aroyl chlorides to furnish unsymmetrically substituted alkynes in good to excellent yields.