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Updated: Mar 19, 2026
A Microwave-Assisted Direct Heteroarylation of Ketones Using Transition Metal Catalysis
Published on: February 16, 2020
Selective nucleophilic addition of aryllithium reagents to α-ketonitriles giving ketones under microflow conditions
Mohmmad S Qenawy1, Kazuhiro Okamoto1, Aiichiro Nagaki1
1Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Kita 10-jo, Nishi 8-chome, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0810, Japan.
Abstract:
We report the selective nucleophilic addition of aryllithium species to acyl cyanides-electrophiles bearing both carbonyl and cyano functional groups-under catalyst-free continuous flow conditions. Using benzoyl cyanide as a model substrate, we demonstrate that the flow microreactor system enables highly selective addition to the carbonyl moiety while eliminating the cyano group as a leaving group, affording polyfunctional ketones in significantly improved yields compared to traditional batch processes.
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