A variety of pyridinecarboxaldehydes are shown to give condensation products in high yields (80–99%, 10 examples) by reacting with benzene and CF3SO3H (triflic acid). In the superacidic solution, pyridinecarboxaldehydes can react with deactivated arenes (o- dichlorobenzene and nitrobenzene) and with saturated hydrocarbons (methylcyclohexane and adamantane). Dicationic intermediates from pyridinecarboxaldehydes in superacid ( ...