Catalytic, asymmetric synthesis of cyanohydrin ethyl carbonates

The bimetallic titanium complex [(salen)TiO](2), where salen is the ligand derived from (R,R)-cyclohexanediamine and 3,5-di-tert-butyl-salicylaldehyde, has been shown to catalyze the asymmetric addition of ethyl cyanoformate to aldehydes leading to cyanohydrin carbonates with high enantiomeric excesses.