reaction of aromaticaldehydes and arylketones with a silylboronate in the presence of a catalytic amount of a CuCl-N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complex and a stoichiometric amount of alkoxide base yielded cross-coupled 1,2-diol derivatives. A reaction pathway is proposed that involves the catalytic formation of a nucleophilic α-silyloxybenzylcopper(I) species from the aromaticaldehyde and its subsequent