Revisiting the synthesis of aryl nitriles: a pivotal role of CAN

A Journey from June 2018 to October 2021 with N,N-Dimethylformamide and N,N-Dimethylacetamide as Reactants

A rich array of reactions occur using N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) or N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc) as reactants, these two amides being able to deliver their own H, C, N, and O atoms for the synthesis of a variety of compounds. This account highlights the literature published since June 2018, completing previous reviews by the author.

Application of combined cyanide sources in cyanation reactions

The cyanation reaction is a key transformation due to the wide-ranging applications of nitrile compounds in organic chemistry. Traditionally, the cyanation reaction employs metal cyanides as cyanide sources, which are toxic and environmentally unfriendly. Very recently, many excellent examples of using combined cyanide sources as cyanating agents have been reported. This review summarizes the applications of combined cyano-group sources in a variety of cyanation reactions.