MECHANISM OF OXIDATIVE ADDITION OF BENZONITRILES TO DI(1,4-BIS(DIETHYLPHOSPHINO)BUTANE)NICKEL(0)

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0022-328X(00)99485-3

A kinetic study of the oxidative addition of RC6H4CN (R = H, m-CN, p-CN) to Ni(DEPB)2 (DEPB=1,4-bis(diethylphosphino)butane) suggests a template mechanism leading to the fission of one C-CN bond.The reaction products are trans-planar cyano-organonickel(II) complexes, Ni2(μ-DEPB)2(RC6H4)2(CN)2 and Ni(η¹-DEPB)(RC6H4)(CN), in equilibrium through exchange of DEPB.