Nickel-catalyzed hydrogen-borrowing strategy: chemo-selective alkylation of nitriles with alcohols†
Abstract
The first nickel-catalyzed hydrogen-borrowing alkylation of a series of aryl acetonitriles with a variety of aryl, heteroaryl, allylic and alkyl alcohols releasing water as the by-product (>33 examples, up to 90% yield) is reported.