Nickel/AlMe2Cl-catalysed carbocyanation of alkynes using arylacetonitriles

Nickel/Lewis acid dual catalysis was found to effect the carbocyanation reaction of alkynes using arylacetonitriles, giving a range of triply substituted acrylonitriles; the reaction of optically active α-phenylpropionitrile suggested a reaction mechanism that involves oxidative addition of a C–CN bond with retention of its absolute configuration.