The Room-Temperature Palladium-Catalyzed Cyanation of Aryl Bromides and Iodides with Tri-t-butylphosphine as Ligand

The palladium-catalyzed cyanation of aryl bromides and iodides to the corresponding nitriles occurs at room temperature when tri-t-butylphosphine is used as ligand, Zn(CN) 2 as the cyanide source and Zn dust as a co-catalyst in DMF as solvent. A variety of aromatic halides, including electron-withdrawing and electron-donating, can be efficiently cyanated under these conditions. The reactions are completed in less than 1 hour and products are produced in good to excellent yield.