The one-step C-methylenation of anilines and indoles with CO2 and phenylsilane was catalyzed by a pentanuclear ZnII complex to give diarylmethanes via geminal C−H and C−C bond formation. It is...

Catalytic CO2 reduction with phenylsilane under solvent-free conditions was linked with the one-pot synthesis of 3,4-dihydropyrans from β-dicarbonyl compounds and styrenes. The synthesis includes three processes: (1) bis(silyl)acetal formation from CO2 and phenylsilane and a domino reaction of (2) Knoevenagel condensation and (3) inverse-electron-demand oxa-Diels–Alder reaction. The first process was catalyzed by a pentanuclear ZnII complex (0.07 mol %) to generate bis(silyl)acetals, which were hydrolyzed into formaldehyde to be used in the second step.