Syntheses and Applications of 2-Alkynylnitriles

2-Alkynylnitriles are a distinguished class of molecules known to play a pivotal role in the construction of a plethora of carbo-/heterocyclic compounds of biological and pharmaceutical importance. These molecules have been exploited as hydrolytically stable irreversible labels for cysteine tagging. In addition, they also form an important homologous series of complex interstellar molecules identified by radioastronomy. Therefore, in this Minireview, we highlight the numerous transformations and diverse reactions carried out with these substrates. Different reactions including nucleophilic additions and various carbo-/heterocycles formation are the prime focal areas of this article. Mechanistic aspects for certain reactions have also been delineated.