title: A robust nickel catalyst for cyanomethylation of aldehydes: activation of acetonitrile under base-free conditions.
abstract: Nick of time: The nickel cyanomethyl complex 1 catalyzes the room temperature coupling of aldehydes with acetonitrile under base-free conditions. The catalytic system is long-lived and remarkably efficient with high turnover numbers (TONs) and turnover frequencies (TOFs) achieved. The mild reaction conditions allow a wide variety of aldehydes, including base-sensitive ones, to catalytically react with acetonitrile.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Cincinnati, P. O. Box 210172, Cincinnati, OH 45221-0172, USA.
authors.forename: Sumit
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chakraborty
authors.forename: Yogi J
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: Jeanette A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Krause
authors.forename: Hairong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Guan
mesh_terms: D000097:Acetonitriles / Q000737:chemistry*; D000447:Aldehydes / Q000737:chemistry*; D002384:Catalysis; D056831:Coordination Complexes / Q000737:chemistry; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D009532:Nickel / Q000737:chemistry*; D010720:Phosphines / Q000737:chemistry; D011789:Quantum Theory
chemical_list: D000097:Acetonitriles; D000447:Aldehydes; D056831:Coordination Complexes; D010720:Phosphines; D009532:Nickel; C044646:phosphine; C032159:acetonitrile
keywords: CH bond activation; aldol reaction; nickel; phosphane ligands; synthetic methods