Cobalt(II) catalyzed dehydration of aldoximes: A highly efficient practical procedure for the synthesis of nitriles

Cobalt(II) chloride catalyses the conversion of a variety of aldoximes, including salicylaldoxime and substituted salicylaldoximes, into corresponding nitriles in the presence of an inorganic base in acetonitrile. The reaction proceeds under mild conditions and the yields are generally very good to excellent.