synthesis of ketone cyanohydrin esters in aqueous media is reported using N-acylbenzotriazoles as the acylating agents. In saturated aqueous sodium bicarbonate containing a catalytic amount of tetrabutylammonium bromide, the reaction of ketones with potassium cyanide and N-acylbenzotriazoles proceeded readily at room temperature to provide the corresponding O-acyl cyanohydrin derivatives in good to excellent
A variety of cyanohydrin esters were readily prepared from carbonyl compounds with trimethylsilyl cyanide and acid anhydride under the influence of a catalytic amount of iron(III) chloride in a convenient one-pot procedure. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.