title: Retro-Claisen benzylation: direct use of benzyl alcohols in Pd-catalyzed couplings with nitriles.
abstract: A new strategy has been developed for the benzylation of nitriles directly from benzyl alcohols. In this process benzyl alcohols undergo retro-Claisen activation with cyanoacetic esters to generate an active electrophile and a carbanionic nucleophile. In the presence of Pd(0) these intermediates undergo catalytic coupling to generate a new C-C bond, resulting in the formation of phenyl propionitriles.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, The University of Kansas, 1251 Wescoe Hall Drive, Lawrence, Kansas 66045-7528, USA. tunge@ku.edu.
authors.forename: Tapan
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Maji
authors.forename: Kinthada
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ramakumar
authors.forename: Jon A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Tunge