Synthesis of Poly-nitrile Aromatics via Palladium-Catalyzed Cyanation of Aryl Bromides with Potassium Hexacyanoferrate(II)

Abstract Modification of Beller's palladium-catalyzed cyanation procedure leads to a versatile and rapid route to poly-nitrile aromatics via easily available aryl bromides that improve on known literature methods. All cyanide ions on the iron(II) center of the nontoxic cyanide source [potassium hexacyanoferrate(II)] can be transferred to the aryl halide using palladium(II) acetate and 1,1′-bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocen (dppf).