Adamantylation of carbonitriles with 1,3-dehydroadamantane and its homologs.

1,3-Dehydroadamantane and its methyl-substituted homologs react with carbonitriles at the α-carbon atom of the latter to give the corresponding α-adamantyl carbonitriles. This reaction provide a convenient one-step procedure for selective synthesis of branched nitriles which are difficult to obtain by traditional procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]