Zn-Catalyzed Cyanation of Aryl Iodides

We report the first
example of zinc-catalyzed cyanation of aryl
iodides with formamide as the cyanogen source. The transformation
was promoted by the bisphosphine Nixantphos ligand. Under optimized
conditions, a variety of electron-donating and electron-withdrawing
aryl iodides were converted into nitrile products in good to excellent
yields. This approach is an exceedingly simple and benign method for
the synthesis of aryl nitriles and is likely to proceed via a dinuclear
Zn-concerted catalysis.