Lewis acid-controlled Pd-catalyzed chemodivergent hydrocyanation of cyclopropenes†

Due to the multifaceted reactivities of cyclopropenes, the divergent hydrofunctionalization of these compounds has recently attracted significant attention. Herein, we present a Pd-catalyzed hydrocyanation of cyclopropenes via aluminum Lewis acid-controlled divergent chemoselectivity. In this study, the presence of aluminum Lewis acid plays a pivotal role in the reaction pathway. In the absence of aluminum Lewis acid, the reaction predominantly yields ring-opening hydrocyanation products, whereas the addition of Lewis acid directs the formation of ring-retentive products.