A Cu(I)-catalyzed cyanation reaction of aryl iodides with α-cyanoacetates is reported herein, which uses α-cyanoacetates as the nontoxic and easy-handling CN source through copper-mediated C-CN bond cleavage. This reaction enables access to aryl nitriles with an array of functional groups on the aromatic ring in good to excellent yields.

A number of nitriles and cyano compounds inhibited chlorination by Streptomyces aureofaciens. In most cases, this inhibition was enhanced by bromide. Methylene blue and p-amino-propiophenone reversed the inhibition to some extent.

2-Amino-3-functionally substituted thiophene de­ rivatives are important intermediates to the phar­ maceutically important thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidines [2]. These thiophene derivatives were available from the procedures published by K. Gewald [3, 4] via either the reaction of a-methylene ketones with active methylene nitriles in presence of elementary sulphur of from a-mercaptoketones and active me...

The biosynthesis of the cyanogenic glucosides, linamarin and prunasin, was investigated in linen-flax, peach and cherry-laurel shoots. It was shown that related 2-oximino acids, aldoximes, nitriles and 2-hydroxynitriles were generally good precursors of the aglycone moiety. Studies with double-labelled compounds confirmed the retention of the oximino nitrogen atom from 2-oximinoisovaleric acid ...