Titanium Catalyzed the Cross-Coupling of Nitriles and Alkyl Halides for the Synthesis of Ketones

Here, a titanium-catalyzed cross-coupling of alkyl halides with nitriles under mild reaction conditions for the synthesis of ketones is reported. This reaction is applicable in benzyl halides, allyl halides, which are inactive substrates in the past reports, as well as non-activated alkyl halides. Mechanistic studies have suggested that titanium(III) acts both as a carbon radical initiator and a cyanoactivator. The gram-scale and derivatisation experiments also further demonstrate the potential application of the methodology.