Nickel-Catalyzed Cyanation of Phenol Derivatives with Zn(CN)2 Involving C-O Bond Cleavage

An efficient nickel-catalyzed cyanation of aryl sulfonates, fluorosulfonates, and sulfamates with Zn(CN)(2) was developed, which provides a facile access to the nitrile products in generally good to excellent yields. The reaction is accomplished by using Ni-II complex as the precatalyst and DMAP as the additive. The method also displays wide functional group compatibility; for example, keto, methoxy, N,N-dimethylamino, cyano, ester, and pyridyl groups are well-tolerated during the reaction process.