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Updated: Jul 9, 2026

Palladium N-Heterocyclic Carbene Complexes: Synthesis from Benzimidazolium Salts and Catalytic Activity in Carbon-carbon Bond-forming Reactions
Published on: July 30, 2017
Transmetallation by Halogen-Cyanide Metathesis in Water: Application to Cyanide Ion-Free Palladium Catalyzed
Ashish Dusunge1, Ramesh Hiralal Choudhary1, Jacek B Jasinski2
1Department of Chemistry, 601 S College Ave, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, United States.
Abstract:
Aryl nitriles are important synthons in organic chemistry, yet conventional cyanation methods mostly generate free cyanide ions, creating acute safety hazards and wastewater contamination issues. We report a Pd-catalyzed cyanide ion-free cyanation of aryl halides featuring a transmetallation potentially via halogen-cyanide (CN-) metathesis using potassium ferrocyanide as a bound CN- reservoir. Mechanistic studies, CN--sensing strip tests, and IR spectroscopy confirm that no free CN⁻ is released at any stage, eliminating toxicity and downstream CN- liabilities. Stable AshPhos-Pd nanoparticles formed within HPMC enable efficient cyanation across diverse (hetero)aryl bromides and chlorides under mild conditions. This approach likely combines process safety and environmental compliance, offering a scalable solution for late-stage CN- installation without the risks associated with free cyanide.
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