A robust palladium-catalyzed cyanation procedure: beneficial effect of zinc acetate

Conditions that ensure a more reproducible Pd(0)-mediated procedure to convert aryl bromides to aryl cyanides have been developed that entail the use of zinc dust to keep the Pd in the zero oxidation state and zinc acetate to ensure high catalytic activity. This procedure is applicable to a wide range of substrates and obviates the need for stringent removal of oxygen from the reaction medium.