A cobalt-catalyzed C-H cyanation reaction of arenes has been developed using N-cyanosuccinimide as a new electrophilic cyanating agent. The reaction proceeds with high selectivity to afford monocyanated products with excellent functional group tolerance. Substrate scope was found to be broad enough to include a wide range of heterocycles including 6-arylpurines.

The first Cp*Ir(iii)-catalyzed C-H/N-H bond functionalization of sulfoximines with α-diazocarbonyl compounds has been developed for the synthesis of 1,2-benzothiazines under redox-neutral conditions. The reactions proceed at room temperature with excellent functional group tolerance and high yields without the requirement of any silver additive.

Cu(II)-catalyzed cyanation of aryl iodides has been developed using DMF and ammonium bicarbonate as the combined source of cyanide. It is assumed that copper is involved both in the generation of "CN" units from DMF-ammonia and in the cyanation of aryl halides. A range of electron-rich and fused (hetero)aryl iodides underwent cyanation resulting in moderate to good yields.