Direct oxidative coupling of benzenes with acrylonitriles to cinnamonitriles catalyzed by Pd(OAc)(2)/HPMoV/O(2) system.

A facile direct synthesis of cinnamonitriles from acrylonitriles and benzenes is successfully achieved by using Pd(OAc)(2)/HPMoV/O(2) catalyst system via the direct C-H bond activation of benzenes using molecular oxygen as a terminal oxidant.