Abstract: Coordination of 3-phenylpropionitrile with chromium hexacarbonyl followed by treatment of the resulting arenechromium complex with lithium diisopropylamide and then iodine produced 1, 12-dicyano [3.3] metacyclophane in a remarkable 84% yield. The process involves intermolecular nucleophilic addition to the coordinated arene, followed by cyclization of the dimer; iodine completes the addition/oxidation procedure for nucleophilic ...