Abstract Reactions of vicinal aromatic dibromo derivatives Ia-d with the system copper (I) cyanide-tetramethylurea gave the vicinal dicyano derivatives IIa-d; products of partial substitution, Va-d, demethylation and deacetylation, IIIa-c, were also formed. The compounds IIIa-c were also prepared by direct demethylation of compounds IIa-c with the system anhydrous aluminium chloride-dichloroethane. The structures of selected ...