Lithium perchlorate/ diethylether catalyzed aminocyanation of aldehydes

Abstract

A simple and efficient one-pot method was developed to give α-aminonitriles from aldehydes + amines + TMSCN in LPDE. Optically active α-aminonitriles were snythesized by using (S)-(−)- or (R)-(+) α-methylbenzylamine, (S)-(−) α-methylbenzylamine affords predominantly S-aminonitriles and (R)-(+) α-methylbenzylamine leads to the R-aminonitriles.