Synfacts 2007(8): 0872-0872  
DOI: 10.1055/s-2007-968751
Organo- and Biocatalysis
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Neutral π-Nucleophile Catalyzed Cyanation of Aldehydes and Ketones

Contributor(s): Benjamin List, Subhas Chandra Pan
X. Wang, S.-K. Tian*
University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei,P. R. of China
Further Information

Publication History

Publication Date:
24 July 2007 (online)

Significance

A neutral π-nucleophile-catalyzed cyanation of aldehydes and ketones has been developed. Commercially available 1-methoxy-2-­methyl-1-(trimethylsiloxy)propene 1 has been identified as an efficient catalyst for this reaction. Both TMSCN and ethyl cyano formate have been used as the cyanation reagent for this solvent-free reaction. With 1-15 mol% of catalyst 1 excellent yields (mostly 99%) have been obtained for different aldehydes and ketones. In addition, the authors have also done crossover cyanosily­lation of different aldehydes and ketones and good selectivity was attained.