Chelation-assisted palladium-catalyzed direct cyanation of 2-arylpyridine C-H bonds.

A chelation-assisted palladium-catalyzed ortho-cyanation of the sp2 C-H bond by CuCN provided aromatic nitriles in moderate to good yields. Notably, the reaction could be conducted on a 10 mmol scale. The key intermediate of the natural product of Menispermum dauricum DC was concisely synthesized by the procedure. This new approach represents an exceedingly practical method for the synthesis of aromatic nitriles and offers an attractive alternative to the traditional Sandmeyer reaction.