Boron Lewis Acid Catalysis Enables the Direct Cyanation of Benzyl Alcohols by Means of Isonitrile as Cyanide Source.

The development of an efficient and straightforward method for cyanation of alcohols is of great value. However, the cyanation of alcohols always requires toxic cyanide sources. Herein, an unprecedented synthetic application of an isonitrile as a safer cyanide source in B(CF)-catalyzed direct cyanation of alcohols is reported.