Cyanohydrin diethyl phosphate, readily obtained from various ketones and aldehydes by reaction with diethyl phosphorocyanidate and lithium cyanide, reacted chemoselectively with samarium (I1) iodide in THF to give the corresponding nitriles in excellent yields. This method was also found applicable to a, Bunsaturated carbonyl compounds via cyano phosphates to give B, yunsaturated nitriles, not obtainable by standard methods, without ...