Rhodium(I)-Catalyzed Borylation of Nitriles through the Cleavage of Carbon–Cyano Bonds

Abstract

The reaction of aryl cyanides with diboron in the presence of a rhodium/Xantphos catalyst and DABCO affords arylboronic esters via carbon-cyano bond cleavage. This unprecedented mode of reactivity for a borylrhodium species allows the regioselective introduction of a boryl group in a late stage of synthesis.