Aminocyanation by the addition of N-CN bonds to arynes: chemoselective synthesis of 1,2-bifunctional aminobenzonitriles.

An efficient aminocyanation by the direct addition of aryl cyanamides to arynes is described, enabling incorporation of highly useful amino and cyano groups synchronously via cleavage of inert N-CN bonds, affording synthetically useful 1,2-bifunctional aminobenzonitriles. The postsynthetic functionalization of the aminocyanation products allows diverse formation of synthetically important derivatives such as drug molecule Ponstan and fused heterocycles.