A series of aromatic γ-hydroxyketones were prepared by means of Heck coupling reaction of aryl halides and 2,3-dihydrofuran, catalyzed by PdCl2·Gly2 and under microwave irradiation. This synthetic transformation involves the formation of an aryl-dihydrofuranoic intermediate, followed by an unusual opening of the heterocycle promoted by a water molecule and the formation of the ketone carbonyl function through keto–enol tautomerism.
