Stereochemistry of the nickel-catalysed hydrocyanation of olefins
Abstract
Nickel-catalysed addition of deuterium cyanide to (E)-1-deuterio-3,3-dimethylbut-1-ene (1) and subsequent analysis of the dideuteriated nitrile (2) by 1H n.m.r. spectroscopy shows that the addition of deuterium and cyanide occurs in a cis-fashion.