Cyanation

In organic synthesis, cyanation is the attachment or substitution of a cyanide group on various molecular substrates. Such transformations are high-value because they offer formation of a C-C bond, and appendment of a highly-oxidized nitrile carbon suitable for further synthetic manipulation. In organic synthesis, cyanation is the attachment or substitution of a cyanide group on various molecular substrates. Such transformations are high-value because they offer formation of a C-C bond, and appendment of a highly-oxidized nitrile carbon suitable for further synthetic manipulation. Typically, alkyl nitriles are formed via SN1 or SN2-type cyanation with alkyl electrophiles. Cyanation of ketones or aldehydes yields the corresponding cyanohydrins: