Iodoform → (E)-1-Bromo-4-(2-iodovinyl)benzene

To a heterogeneous mixture of chromium (II) chloride (3.98 g, 32.4 mmol) in tetrahydrofuran (40 mL) at 0° C. was added via Syringe pump over 1 hour (in the total absence of light) 4-bromo-benzaldehyde (1.00 g, 5.40 mol) and iodoform (4.25 g, 10.8 mmol) combined as a homogeneous solution in tetrahydrofuran (20 mL). The cold bath was removed, whereupon a quantitative reaction as indicated occurred within 1 hour. The reaction mixture was diluted with 1:1 ether-hexanes (200 mL) then filtered through a short pad of silica gel, concentrated to a solid tainted with residual iodoform.