The 2, 2'-bipyridyl-6-carbonitrile (6) was prepared by reacting 2, 2'-bipyridyll-oxide (5) with sodium cyanide and benzoyl chloride in water; 5 was synthesized by oxidizing 2, 2'-bipyridyl with H202 in AcOH (Scheme 11). This method gave a higher total yield and used fewer steps than the one described by Case. lo