Trimethylaluminum (12 mL, 2 M in hexane, 24 mmol) is added dropwise to a solution of benzophenone hydrazone (1.57 g, 8 mmol) in dichloromethane (20 mL) at room temperature and under nitrogen. After the mixture is stirred for 30 min, 4-(3-methoxy-phenyl)-dihydro-furan-2-one, (1.54 g, 8 mmol) in dichloromethane (5 mL) is added. The mixture is refluxed for 5 h cooled to room temperature and diluted with dichloromethane (30 mL). The mixture is treated with 4 N sodium hydroxide (30 mL) and stirred one hour. The organic layer is separated, washed with brine and, dried over magnesium sulfate. The mixture is filtered, concentrated in vacuo and chromatographed on SiO2 (2% methanol/dichloromethane) to yield the title compound, 2.25 g (73%) as a pale yellow oil.
