Reactions of transition metal-coordinated nitriles

The reaction chemistry of nitriles, R-C=N, where R is usually an organyl group, with transition metal complexes is reviewed. The review surveys data published during the period 1977-early 1994 on new reaction processes such as insertion into metal-hydrogen and -carbon bonds, coupling between one nitrile and an unsaturated metal fragment or between two nitriles, reduction to amines, attack by protic and aprotic nucleophiles and electrophilic attack as well as some catalytic transformations, which result from the ability of nitriles to coordinate to transition metal centres with a consequent change in the electrophilicity or nucleophilicity of the coordinated ligand.