Palladium acetate catalyzed cyanation of aryl halides using Buchwald’s 2-(di-t-butylphosphino)-1,1’-binaphthyl

An application of Buchwald's 2-(di-t-butylphosphino)-1,1'-binaphthyl 1 in palladium acetate catalyzed cyanation of aryl halides was developed.Using this ligand, aryl chlorides substituted with both electron donating or withdrawing groups afforded the desired cyano products in excellent yields.The corresponding aryl bromides gave higher yields within shorter time.Heteroaryl chlorides also reacted under the similar conditions to give the cyano products in excellent yields.