Phosphine organocatalysis enabled vicinal acylcyanation of alkynoates with acyl cyanides to form acrylonitrile derivatives with a tetrasubstituted alkene moiety. The acyl and cyano groups were introduced at the α and β carbon atoms, respectively, of the C–C triple bond in the alkynoates with complete regioselectivity and high anti stereoselectivity. A variety of functional groups in the acyl cyanides
Phosphane-mediated cyclizations between α-keto nitriles and methylidenemalononitriles, producing highly functionalized cyclopropanes in good to excellent yields, are reported. The presence of strongly electron-withdrawing cyano groups directly bound to the ketone carbonyl groups is believed to play a critical role in these transformations.