Strecker reactions of various aldimines as well as ketoimines with TMSCN proceeded smoothly under mild conditions to give the corresponding alpha-amino nitriles and alpha,alpha-disubstituted alpha-amino nitriles, respectively, in good to excellent yields in the presence of nanocrystalline magnesium oxide. The reaction proceeds through hypervalent silicate species by coordination to O2-/O- (Lewis basic site) of nanocrystalline magnesium oxide, proved by Si-29 NMR. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Synthesis of α-Aminonitriles through Strecker Reaction of N-Tosylaldimines Using Molecular Iodine¹
The Strecker reaction of N-tosylaldimines with trimethylsilylcyanide in the presence of catalytic amount of iodine at room temperature produces the corresponding protected α-aminonitriles in high yields. Strecker reaction - N-tosylaldimine - trimethylsilylcyanide - protected α-aminonitrile - iodine Part 187 in the series, Studies on Novel Synthetic Methodologies.