Synthesis of α-amino nitriles through Strecker reaction of aldimines and ketoimines by using nanocrystalline magnesium oxide

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.