Nickel catalyst for the cyanation of aromatic halides.

摘要

The invention relates to a nickel compound to be used as a catalyst for cyanation reactions, said nickel compound having a central nickel atom complexed by a diphosphine ligand. In said diphosphine ligand the P-atoms are interconnected through an aliphatic, cycloaliphatic or aromatic bivalent radical. The invention also relates to the use of said nickel compound and to a method of preparing an aromatic cyanide from an aromatic halide and an alkali metal cyanide in a substantially anhydrous non-dipolar aprotic solvent under the influence of a phosphine-nickel catalyst and in the presence of a salt of a transition metal.