Iodine Promoted Conversion of Esters to Nitriles and Ketones under Metal-Free Conditions.

We report a novel strategy to prepare valuable nitriles and ketones through the conversion of esters under metal-free conditions. By using the I2/PCl3 system, various substrates including aliphatic and aromatic esters could react with acetonitrile and arenes to afford the desired products in good to excellent yields. This method is compatible with a number of functional groups and provides a simple and practical approach for the synthesis of nitrile compounds and aryl ketones.