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Main observation and conclusion: We have developed an efficient synthesis of acrylonitriles via mild base promoted tandem nucleophilic substitution-isomerization of α-cyanohydrin methanesulfonates with alkenylboronic acids. This transition metal-free protocol works under simple and mild conditions and offers good chemical yields for a wide range of substrates and demonstrates good functional group tolerance. (Figure presented.).

Thermodynamic and kinetic control of a chemical process is the key to access desired products and states. Changes are made when a desired product is not accessible; one may manipulate the reaction with additional reagents, catalysts and/or protecting groups. Here we report the use of carbon dioxide to accelerate cyanohydrin synthesis under neutral conditions with an insoluble cyanide source (KCN) without generating toxic HCN. Under inert atmosphere, the reaction is essentially not operative due to the unfavored equilibrium. The utility of CO2-mediated selective cyanohydrin synthesis was further showcased by broadening Kiliani–Fischer synthesis under neutral conditions. This protocol offers an easy access to a variety of polyols, cyanohydrins, linear alkylnitriles, by simply starting from alkyl- and arylaldehydes, KCN and an atmospheric pressure of CO2.

Strecker reaction of various substituted aromatic aldehydes, heteroaromatic aldehydes, aliphatic aldehydes and α,β-unsaturated aldehydes with trimethylsilyl cyanide (TMSCN) was realized in the presence of 5 mol % of MgI2 etherate in a mild, efficient and highly chemoselective manner under solvent-free conditions.

Ruthenium-catalyzed dehydrogenation of cyanohydrins under acceptorless and base-free conditions was demonstrated for the first time in the synthesis of acyl cyanide. As opposed to the thermodynamically preferred elimination of hydrogen cyanide, the dehydrogenation of cyanohydrins could be kinetically controlled with ruthenium (II) bidentate phosphine complexes. The effects of the arene, phosphine ligands and counter anions were investigated in regard to catalytic activity and selectivity. Selective dehydrogenation can occur via β-hydride elimination with the experimentally observed [(alkoxide)Ru] complex. (Figure presented.).

An enantioselective preparation of O-acetylcyanohydrins has been accomplished by a three-step telescoped continuous process. The modular components enabled an accurate control of two sequential biotransformations, safe handling of an in situ generated hazardous gas, and in-line stabilization of products. This method proved to be advantageous over the batch protocols in terms of reaction time (40 min vs 345 min) and ease of operation, opening up access to reactions which have often been neglected due to safety concerns.

Magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles in deep eutectic solvents (DESs) have been regard as excellent catalysts for highly efficient cyanosilylation of various aldehydes and epoxides using trimethylsilyl cyanide TMSCN in high yields with excellent selectivity. Fe3O4 nanoparticles were synthesized and applied as a catalyst for the preparation of a wide variety of cyanohydrins (α-hydroxy nitriles and β-hydroxy nitriles) in readily available urea-choline chloride deep eutectic solvent DES as the most promising environmentally benign and cost-effective green solvent. Magnetic DES operates at very mild reaction conditions and can be easily recycled without significant loss of its catalytic activity.

A commercial phosphorus-based reagent (P(NMe2)3) mediates umpolung alkylation of methyl aroylformates with benzylic and allylic bromides, leading to either Barbier-type addition or ylide-free olefination products upon workup. The reaction sequence is initiated by a two-electron redox addition of the tricoordinate phosphorus reagent with an α-keto ester compound (Kukhtin-Ramirez addition). A mechanistic rationale is offered for the chemoselectivity upon which the success of this nonmetal mediated C-C bond forming strategy is based.

The solid phase behavior of a series of monosubstituted F-, Cl-, Br-, I-, and CH3- and two 2,4-halogen-disubstituted 2-hydroxy-2-phenylacetic acid (mandelic acid) derivatives was investigated. The study includes detailed information about melting temperature, melting enthalpy, X-ray diffraction data, as well as selected binary phase diagrams of the respective chiral systems. Aside from the known metastable conglomerate 2-chloromandelic acid, evidence for two more metastable conglomerates was found.

The structures of 27 monosubstituted mandelic acids, including several of their polymorphs, plus unsubstituted mandelic acid itself (two polymorphs) are investigated for structural similarity. The results, presented pictorially as a structural relationship plot, show that rather more structures are built up from the carboxyl-chain hydroxyl hydrogen bonded dimer than from the conventional carboxylic acid dimer. The results show how all the structures are related and, based on the two types of dimer, the degree of similarity that they possess. Some structures with Z′ > 1 contain both sorts of dimers and there are many examples of isostructural sets within the structures so far determined. We also present an example where analysing similarity in related families of structures highlights a structure that should be present and which has indeed then proceeded to be synthesised and determined.

A variety of cyanohydrins were prepared from Aldehydes with sodium cyanide and DOWEX(R)50WX4 in a convenient procedure.

Self-condensation of aromatic aldehydes with trimethylsilyl cyanide proceeded by the cooperative catalytic effect of VO(OiPr)3 and a Lewis base to give the corresponding O-acylated cyanohydrins. The reaction conversion and selectivity were strongly dependent on the solvent used, the Lewis base, and the presence of oxygen. All the nine kinds of aromatic aldehydes considered herein afforded the O-acylated cyanohydrins with excellent selectivity under an O2 atmosphere.

A coordination polymer, {[Cd(L)2(DMF)2] ·(ClO4)2·(2DMF)}n (1) (L = bis-(4-imidazol-1-yl-phenyl)-diazene) has been synthesized at room temperature. The polymer forms a two-dimensional (2D) rhombus-grid sheet structure. These 2D sheets are stacked in ABAB... mode with an inter-planar spacing of 3.729 . Each Cd(II) ion is equatorially bonded to four imidazole N atoms belong to four different ligand units while O atoms from two DMF molecules occupy the axial sites. Two ClO4- counter anions as well as two DMF molecules occupy the void space in each rhombus grid. This compound catalyzes cyanosilylation reactions of aromatic aldehydes in dichloromethane under mild conditions in heterogeneous fashion. On heating 1 at 120 °C for 4 h, all DMF molecules are lost and the ClO4- anions move out of the void space to occupy the axial sites on the metal to yield, de-solvated {[Cd(L)2(ClO4)2]}n (1) without losing crystallinity. De-solvated 1 exhibits heterogeneous catalytic activity in several Knoevenagel condensation reactions at RT.

We report a new thiourea - Bronsted acid cooperative catalytic system for the enantioselective cyanosilylation of aldehydes with yields up to 90% and enantioselectivities up to 88%. The addition of an achiral acid was found to be crucial for high asymmetric induction. Mechanistic investigations using a combination of NMR, ESI-MS, and density functional theory computations (including solvent corrections) at the M06/6-31G(d,p) level of theory suggest that the key catalytic species results from the cooperative interaction of bifunctional thioureas and an achiral acid that form well-defined chiral hydrogen-bonding environments.

Chiral disulfonimides having the formula I to III, wherein at least one of the groups A and B in the compound of formula I, C and D of the compound in formula II, and E and F of the compound in formula III is a chiral group, or E and F together form a chi

Enzymatic kinetic resolution of a series of aromatic and aliphatic cyanohydrins in organic media has been investigated. The behavior of potential lipases, molecular sieves, acyl reagent, reaction temperature, and organic solvents on the kinetic resolution was studied. The influence of substrate structure, steric, and electronic nature and position of the aryl substituent on the enantioselectivity was discussed. Under the optimized reaction conditions, good enantioselectivity could be achieved for most of the investigated compounds. Specifically, substrates 1a, 1c, 1d, 1f, 1u could be resolved with the kinetic enantiomer ratio (E) higher than 200.

A new hydroxynitrile lyase (HNL) was isolated from the seed of Japanese apricot (Prunus mume). The enzyme has similar properties with HNL isolated from other Prunus species and is FAD containing enzyme. It accepts a large number of unnatural substrates (benzaldehyde and its variant) for the addition of HCN to produce the corresponding cyanohydrins in excellent optical and chemical yields. A new HPLC based enantioselective assay technique was developed for the enzyme, which promotes the addition of KCN to benzaldehyde in a buffered solution (pH=4.5).

Modification of artemisinin structure led us to the discovery of a novel class of antitumor compounds. These artemisinin derivatives containing cyano and aryl groups showed potent antiproliferative effect in vitro against P388 and A549 cells. This activit

An easy, inexpensive and accurate method to determine enantiomeric excess of cyanohydrins is described. The method consists in derivatization of cyanohydrins with (S)-naproxen chloride and the products analyzed by HPLC. The results of enantiomeric excess so determined are similar to those obtained with [Eu(hfc)3], as a chiral shift reagent, and analysis by 1H- NMR of the cyanohydrins.

The reactive species formed by the Ti(III) ion reduction of benzoyl cyanide (1) adds to the C-atom of carbonyl compounds 2 under simple experimental conditions.The intermediate 1,2-diols 3 are smoothly converted, without isolation, into the less thermodynamically stable mixed benzoins 4, which are not accessible by the classical benzoin condensation.The possible mechanisms involved in the reaction are discussed.

A series of cyanohydrin acetates (1)-(47) of widely varying structures, potential chiral building blocks for numerous synthetic applications, has been prepared in good chemical and often high optical yields by enzymatic hydrolysis of their racemic acetates in the presence of an ester hydrolase from Pseudomonas sp.