Trimethylsilyl cyanide

UsesReacts with aldehydes and ketones to give cyanohydrin-TMS ethers which can be reduced to β-aminoethyl alcohols.Trimethylsilyl cyanide (TMSCN) participates in carbonyl aminomethylation via α-silyloxy nitriles.TMSCN can be used as a reagent in the:Trimethylsilyl cyanide was used in the second step of an oxidative Michael addition of cyanide anion to Baylis–Hillman adducts. The importance of the addition of cyanide to α,β-unsaturated carbonyl derivatives is that the products can be converted into a variety of compounds including γ-aminobutyric acids. The reaction took place in a liquid ionic medium ([bmim]Br), which was reused several times without losing its activity. The β-cyano carbonyl compounds were obtained with high regioselectivity and yields (>79%).Cyanosilylation of carbonyl compounds using various catalysts.Synthesis of α-aminonitriles by one-pot, three-component Strecker reaction of ketones with various amines using Brønsted acid catalyst.Cyanation of aryl halides using palladium-complex as a catalyst.

UsesCyanotrimethylsilane is a highly versatile reagent that reacts with a multitude of functional groups to yield an array of products and/or highly valuable synthetic intermediates. Aldehydes and ketones are readily transformed into the corresponding cyanohydrin trimethylsilyl ethers when treated with cyanotrimethylsilane in the presence of Lewis acids (eq 1), triethylamine,or solid bases such as CaF2 or hydroxyapatite. The products can be readily hydrolyzed to the corresponding cyanohydrins. The cyanosilylation of aromatic aldehydes can be achieved with high enantioselectivity in the presence of catalytic amounts of a modified Sharpless catalyst consisting of titanium tetraisopropoxide and L-(+)-diisopropyl tartrate (eq 2).Catalysis with chiral titanium reagents yields aliphatic and aromatic cyanohydrins in high chemical and optical yields (eq 3). Cyanohydrins can be subsequently transformed into a variety of useful synthetic intermediates (eq 4).