Nickel-Catalyzed Thiolation of Aryl Nitriles

A nickel-catalyzed thiolation of aryl nitriles has been developed to access functionalized aryl thioethers. The ligand dcype (1,2 Bis(dicyclohexylphosphino)ethane) as well as the base KOtBu (potassium tert-butoxide) are essential to achieve this transformation. This scalable and practical process involves both a C–C bond activation and a C–S bond formation. Furthermore, this reaction shows a high functional-group tolerance and enables the late-stage functionalization of important molecules.