Importance

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Abstract

The instant invention relates to a process for the conversion of an aryl halide into an aryl cyanide, which comprises the steps of: (a) providing a first electrode and a second electrode of opposite polarity from said first electrode in an electrolyte, said electrolyte comprising an aryl halide and a zerovalent Group VIII metal catalyst complex dissolved in a conductive solvent, wherein said Group VIII metal catalyst complex is capable of catalyzing the conversion of said aryl halide to an aryl cyanide in the presence of cyanide ions and susceptible to reaction with cyanide ions to yield a catalytically inactive Group VIII metal species, (b) providing cyanide ions in said electrolyte to convert said aryl halide to said aryl cyanide, (c) providing a flow of current between said electrodes, and (d) selectively controlling the electrical potential between said first and second electrode to convert said catalytically inactive Group VIII metal species to said zero valent Group VIII metal catalyst complex. More broadly, the instant invention relates to an improvement in a process for the conversion of a reactant into a reaction product in the presence of a soluble Group VIII metal catalyst complex, wherein said conversion is characterized by the reactant and Group VIII metal catalyst complex combining to form an intermediate, which intermediate may decompose in the presence of a coreactant to said reaction product and said Group VIII metal catalyst complex or said Group VIII metal catalyst may combine with said coreactant to yield a catalytically inactive Group VIII metal species, wherein the improvement comprises electrochemically converting said catalytically inactive Group VIII metal species into said Group VIII metal catalyst complex.

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First Claim