A Ru-catalyzed selective hydroacylation of acrylonitriles with aldehydes or alcohols towards β-ketonitriles is established. Glutaronitriles can be obtained through a one-step tandem hydroacylation and Michael addition of acrylonitrile and alcohols.
Direct hydroacylation methods for the synthesis of β-ketonitriles from arylacrylonitriles, facilitated by an EDA complex and conducted under room temperature in the absence of light, have been proposed.
Catalytic arene cyclopropanation of α-cyanodiazoacetates or α-diazo-β-ketonitriles gave norcaradienes or dihydrobenzofurans, which were converted to cyclohexadienes or benzofurans via cyclopropanation/reductive double ring-opening or DDQ oxidation.
A one-pot synthetic strategy to assemble multi-substituted 2,3-dihydrofuran scaffolds via pyridinium ylide-mediated cyclization for DNA-encoded library construction was reported, featuring mild reaction conditions and broad substrate scope.
A new and practical cyanation of α-CF3 carbonyls with aqueous ammonia is developed.