We report a novel strategy to prepare valuable nitriles and ketones through the conversion of esters under metal-free conditions. By using the I2/PCl3 system, various substrates including aliphatic and aromatic esters could react with acetonitrile and arenes to afford the desired products in good to excellent yields. This method is compatible with a number of functional groups and provides a simple
protocol for the synthesis of sterically hinderedketones that proceeds via palladium-catalyzed Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling of unconventional amide electrophiles by selective N–C(O) activation. Mechanistic studies demonstrate that steric bulk on the amide has a major impact, which is opposite to the traditional Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling of sterically hindered aryl halides. Structural and computational