Internal alkynes effectively undergo aroylarylation, that is 1,2-addition of aroyl and aryl groups, on treatment with aroylchlorides in the presence of a catalytic amount of [RhCl(cod)]2 and PPh3 using hexamethyldisilane as reducing agent to produce the corresponding 1,3-diaryl-2-propen-1-one derivatives in good yields. The reaction can also proceed using relatively reactive alkenes such as norbornenes