Abstract: With nitromethane and diphenylsilane (Ph2SiH2), zinc triflate behaves as a Lewis acid catalyst for the cyanation of nitrogen-containing heteroarenes such as indoles and pyrroles. This is the first realization of the Lewis acid-catalyzed direct cyanation of a CACHTUNGTRENNUNG (aryl) ÀH bond with no CN group-containing cyanating agent. Keywords: heteroarenes; heterocycles; Lewis acids; nitriles; zinc