Asymmetric carbonylative couplings of benzyl halides have been shown to give heterosubstituted 1, 3-diarylacetones in moderate to high yields. These asymmetric ketones were converted via Knoevenagel condensations to tetraarylcyclopentadienones, and further conversion via dehydro-Diels-Alder cycloadditions gave highly heterofunctionalized hexaarylbenzenes with uniquely functionalized aryl groups at the para positions of the ...