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Updated: Mar 31, 2026

Palladium N-Heterocyclic Carbene Complexes: Synthesis from Benzimidazolium Salts and Catalytic Activity in Carbon-carbon Bond-forming Reactions
Published on: July 30, 2017
Rhodium-Catalyzed Transnitrilation of Aryl Boronic Acids with Dimethylmalononitrile
Christian A Malapit1, Jonathan T Reeves2, Carl A Busacca3
1Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, 55 North Eagleville Road, Storrs, CT 06269-3060 (USA).
Abstract:
An efficient transnitrilation of aryl boronic acids with dimethylmalononitrile (DMMN) is described. This rhodium-catalyzed electrophilic cyanation presents a novel approach to prepare aryl nitriles by using a carbon-bound cyanating reagent which undergoes cross-coupling with the aryl boronic acid. The reaction expands the degree of functional-group compatibility exhibited by the transnitrilation of aryl Grignard and aryllithium reagents. A variety of aryl boronic acid derivatives and dialkylmalononitriles were amenable to the transnitrilation.
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