Palladium(0)-catalyzed conversion of vinyl trifluoromethanesulfonates into α,β-unsaturated nitriles

Abstract

Treatment (benzene, room temperature) of each of the vinyl trifluoromethanesulfonates 16-23 with dry lithium cyanide in the presence of catalytic amounts of tetrakis(triphenylphosphine)palladium(0) and the crown ether 12-crown-4 provides good to excellent yields of the corresponding α,β-unsaturated nitriles 24-31.