Sorry to give you false hope, ning, I posted that when I was still half-asleep this morning
It's actually potassium isocyanate aka potassium isocyanoacetate (CNCH2COOK) not cyanate...
sorry mate! I guess I should refrain from posting before I have my coffee.
A new search generated the following, I also included acyl halides as the substrate:
Prashad, Mahavir; Tomesch, John C.; Houlihan, William
Synthesis 6 (1990) 477-480
AbstractSelective Monocarbamoylation of Symmetrical Diols with Alkyl Halides and Potassium Cyanate Using Phase-Transfer Catalysis
A convenient method for the selective monocarbamoylation of diols by reaction with alkyl isocyanates, generated in situ from alkyl halides and potassium cyanate under phase-transfer catalysis, is described. Under these conditions the ease of reaction shows the following order cis-diols > trans-diols and diols > monoalcohols.An increase in the number of methylene groups between two hydroxyl groups lead to a decrease in product yields.A plausible mechanism to explain these results is proposed.
Deng, M. Z.; Caubere, P.; Senet, J. P.; Lecolier, S.
Tetrahedron Volume 44, number 19 (1988) 6079-6086
AbstractCONDENSATION OF ACYL CHLORIDE ON SODIUM CYANATE : PREPARATION OF ACYL ISOCYANATES
The catalytic effects of various metal halides and solvents on the reaction of benzoyl chloride with sodium cyanate were studied.It has been found that SnCl4, and ZnCl2 catalyze the reaction to give the corresponding acyl isocyanates in good yields.The scope of the reaction was studied and a number of aroyl isocyanates and their derivatives were prepared.A few non aromatic isocyanates and their derivatives were also prepared.
Reactants: 4-phenoxy-benzoyl chloride ; sodium cyanate
Product: 4-phenoxy-benzoyl isocyanate
Yield: 76 percent (BRN=5022396)
Catalyst: SnCl4
Solvent: 1,2-dichloro-benzene
Time: 2 hour(s)
Other Conditions: Heating
Reactants: propionyl chloride ; sodium cyanate
Product: propionyl isocyanate
Yield: 52 percent
Catalyst: SnCl4
Solvent: 1,2-dichloro-benzene
Time: 8 hour(s)
Temperature: 80°C
Reactants: 3-chloro-benzoyl chloride ; sodium cyanate
Product: 3-chloro-benzoyl isocyanate
Yield: 81 percent
Catalyst: SnCl4
Solvent: 1,2-dichloro-benzene
Time: 2 hour(s)
Other Conditions: Heating
Reactants: 2-chloro-benzoyl chloride ; sodium cyanate
Product: o-chlorobenzoyl isocyanate
Yield: 80 percent
Catalyst: SnCl4
Solvent: 1,2-dichloro-benzene
Time: 2 hour(s)
Other Conditions: Heating
Reactants: 3-methoxy-benzoyl chloride ; sodium cyanate
Product: 3-methoxy-benzoyl isocyanate
Yield: 78 percent
Catalyst: SnCl4
Solvent: 1,2-dichloro-benzene
Time: 2 hour(s)
Other Conditions: Heating
Reactants: sodium cyanate ; benzoyl chloride
Product: benzoyl isocyanate
Yield: 83 percent
Catalyst: SnCl4
Solvent: 1,2-dichloro-benzene
Time: 2 hour(s)
Other Conditions: Heating
Reactants: 4-methyl-benzoyl chloride ; sodium cyanate
Product: 4-methyl-benzoyl isocyanate
Yield: 81 percent
Catalyst: SnCl4
Solvent: 1,2-dichloro-benzene
Time: 2 hour(s)
Other Conditions: Heating
Reactants: 2-ethyl-2-bromo-butyryl bromide ; mercury (I)-cyanate
Product: 2-ethyl-2-bromo-butyryl isocyanate
Patent DE271682
Reactants: sodium cyanate ; (3-bromo-propoxy)-benzene
Product: (3-isocyanato-propoxy)-benzene
Solvent: dimethylformamide
Time: 1 hour(s)
Other Conditions: Heating