Copper‐Catalyzed Cyanation of Aryl Iodides with Formamide as the Cyano Source

A practical and convenient protocol for copper-catalyzed cyanation of aryl iodides with formamide as the cyano source was developed, providing various aryl nitriles in good to excellent yields under ligand and base free conditions. Compared to the reported cyanation reactions of aryl halides with formamide at high temperature (130-145 degrees C), lower reaction temperature (100 degrees C) and excellent substrate compatibility make this method more attractive in synthetic and pharmaceutical chemistry.