Ligand-Accelerated Non-Directed C–H Cyanation of Arenes

We herein report the first example of a 2-pyridone accelerated non-directed C−H cyanation with an arene as the limiting reagent. This protocol is compatible with a broad scope of arenes, including advanced intermediates, drug molecules, and natural products. A kinetic isotope experiment (k_H/k_D = 4.40) indicates that the C–H bond cleavage is the rate-limiting step. Also, the reaction is readily scalable, further showcasing the synthetic utility of this method.