Olefin‐Migrative Cleavage of Cyclopropane Rings through the Nickel‐Catalyzed Hydrocyanation of Allenes and Alkenes

A nickel‐catalyzed hydrocyanation triggered by hydronickelation of the carbon‐carbon double bonds of allenes followed by cyclopropane cleavage is described. The observed regio‐ and stereochemistries in the products are strongly influenced by the initial hydronickelation step, and allenyl‐ and methylenecyclopropanes reacted smoothly to promote the cleavage of cyclopropane. In contrast, this cleavage was not observed with vinylidenecyclopropanes, because the initial hydronickelation does not give a suitable intermediate for cleavage of the cyclopropanes. magnified image