Under microwave irradiation, the corresponding hydroxycyclopentenones were prepared in high yields by the cross-aldol reactions of benzil with various ketones. When the reactions were performed in various solvents under classical heating for a long time, they produced the products in relatively low yields. (C) 2008 Hossien Abbastabar Ahangar. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Chinese Chemical Society. All rights reserved.