REACTIONS OF TRANSITION METAL-COORDINATED NITRILES

The reaction chemistry of nitriles, R-C=N, where R is usually an organ yl group, with transition metal complexes is reviewed. The review surv eys data published during the period 1977-early 1994 on new reaction p rocesses such as insertion into metal-hydrogen and -carbon bonds, coup ling between one nitrile and an unsaturated metal fragment or between two nitriles, reduction to amines, attack by protic and aprotic nucleo philes and electrophilic attack as well as some catalytic transformati ons, which result from the ability of nitriles to coordinate to transi tion metal centres with a consequent change in the electrophilicity or nucleophilicity of the coordinated ligand.