An operationally simple protocol for the enantioselective electrophilic α-cyanation of β-keto amides catalyzed by cinchona-derived catalysts has been demonstrated.
By using a readily accessible, new and safe cyano-transfer reagent, 1-cyanato-4-nitrobenzene, the enantioselectivity of the direct electrophilic α-cyanation of 1-indanone-derived β-keto amides was greatly improved as a result of an enhanced double-hydrogen bonding. Thus, in the presence of cinchonine as the bifunctional organocatalyst, a series of α-cyano β-keto amides were produced in excellent yields
The first example of catalytic asymmetric electrophilic cyanation of 3-substituted oxindoles has been achieved using readily accessible 4-acetylphenyl cyanate as the cyano source. Thus, a series of all-carbon quaternary center 3-aryl-3-cyano oxindoles were prepared using a zinc complex of a chiral pincer ligand as the catalyst in high yields (up to 95%) and excellent enantioselectivities (up to >99%