Efficient palladium-catalyzed cyanation of aryl/heteroaryl bromides with K4[Fe(CN)6] in t-BuOH-H2O using tris(2-morpholinophenyl)phosphine as a ligand

A practical method for the synthesis of various aryl/heteroaryl nitriles using non-toxic K-4[Fe(CN)(6)] as the cyanide source is described. The cyanation of aryl/heteroaryl bromides with K-4[ Fe(CN)(6)] proceeded smoothly in the presence of a Pd/tris(2-morpholinophenyl)phosphine (L5) catalyst under mild conditions. The corresponding aryl/heteroaryl nitriles were produced in good to excellent yields.