Improving Robustness: In Situ Generation of a Pd(0) Catalyst for the Cyanation of Aryl Bromides

Conditions have been developed for the palladium-catalyzed cyanation of aryl bromides utilizing the air-stable XantPhos-PdCl2 precatalyst. By employing a trialkylamine as a reducing agent, the active Pd(0) species is generated in situ, alleviating the need to employ the air-sensitive Pd-2(dba)(3). Twenty-two substituted benzonitriles have been synthesized using this method.