Anodic cyanation of 1-arylpyrrolidines

The electrochemical cyanation of 1-arylpyrrolidines was carried out in methanol containing sodium cyanide at a platinum anode in a divided cell. The reaction gave the corresponding alpha-aminonitriles 2, together with the unexpected 1-arylpyrrolidine-2-carboximidic acid methyl esters 3 as byproducts.