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Irradiation of electron-donating substituted phenyl halides (fluorides and chlorides) or esters (mesylates, triflates and phosphates) in aqueous MeCN in the presence of KCN gives the corresponding benzonitriles in 48 to 100% yield through an ArSN1 reaction with the intermediacy of a triplet phenyl cation.
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Dichiarante et al. (2006) studied this question.
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