The addition of stoichiometric quantities of water accelerates both the tri
methylaluminum mediated aromatic Claisen reaction and the chiral zirconocen
e-catalyzed asymmetric carboalumination of terminal alkenes, The two reacti
ons occur in a tandem sequence resulting in the selective formation of two
new C-C and one C-O bond after oxidative quench of the intermediate trialky
lalane.