Ni-Catalyzed C-H Cyanation of (Hetero)arenes with 2-Cyanoisothiazolidine 1,1-Dioxide as a Cyanation Reagent.

A nickel-catalyzed C-H cyanation reaction of arenes has been developed using 2-cyanoisothiazolidine 1,1-dioxide as an electrophilic cyanation reagent. Many different directing groups can be used in this cyanation to obtain a series of cyanation products with good yields. Adopting this strategy to introduce a cyano group, natural alkaloid menisporphine was successfully synthesized through cyano group conversion that further proved the practicality of this cyanation method.