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Updated: Jan 4, 2026

Synthesis of Hypervalent Iodonium Alkynyl Triflates for the Application of Generating Cyanocarbenes
Published on: September 8, 2013
Ni-Catalyzed Reductive Cyanation of Aryl Halides and Phenol Derivatives via Transnitrilation
L Reginald Mills1, Joshua M Graham1, Purvish Patel1
1Davenport Research Laboratories, Department of Chemistry , University of Toronto , 80 St. George Street , Toronto , ON M5S 3H6 , Canada.
Abstract:
Herein, we report a Ni-catalyzed reductive coupling for the synthesis of benzonitriles from aryl (pseudo)halides and an electrophilic cyanating reagent, 2-methyl-2-phenyl malononitrile (MPMN). MPMN is a bench-stable, carbon-bound electrophilic CN reagent that does not release cyanide under the reaction conditions. A variety of medicinally relevant benzonitriles can be made in good yields. Addition of NaBr to the reaction mixture allows for the use of more challenging aryl electrophiles such as aryl chlorides, tosylates, and triflates. Mechanistic investigations suggest that NaBr plays a role in facilitating oxidative addition with these substrates.
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