“…2 However, the coupling reactions of aromatic dicarbonyl compounds have been limited, until now, to the synthesis of macrocyclic compounds such as porphyrin derivatives 3 and cyclophane compounds. 4 There are also some reports concerning the polymerization of benzene-1,4-dicarbaldehyde to poly-(1,4-phenylene ethane-1,2-diol) by using Mukaiyama's reagent. 5 When aromatic dialdehydes 1a ^d are treated with aluminium powder and an aqueous alkaline solution in methanol, 1,2-bis(formyl-substituted aryl)ethane-1,2-diols 2a ^d are formed as the main products in which only one carbonyl group of 1 is reduced, the other remaining unreacted.…”