Palladium-assisted regioselective C-H cyanation of heteroarenes using isonitrile as cyanide source.

A palladium-catalyzed regioselective C-H cyanation of heteroarenes was achieved using tert-butyl isocyanide as "CN" source, which provides a new and unique strategy for the preparation of (hetero)aryl nitriles. Indoles, pyrroles, and aromatic rings could be efficiently cyanated through C-H bond activation with high regioselectivity.