Nature Chemistry, Published online: 18 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41557-026-02231-5 The α-arylation of carbonyl compounds remains a central challenge in chemical synthesis. Now it has been shown that BisTrip, a recyclable aryl group transporter, enables rapid and regiospecific α-arylation of diverse carbonyl compounds, providing access to challenging arylated ketones including quaternary carbon centres within intricate molecules.