Intramolecular nucleophilic addition of an organorhodium(I) to a nitrile

Nucleophilic addition of an organorhodium(I) to a cyano group has been observed for the first time in the rhodiumcatalysed reaction of cyano-substituted alkynes with arylboronic acids. The higher reactivity of a cyano group relative to an alkoxycarbonyl group toward an organorhodium(I) species is demonstrated by an intramolecular example.