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Updated: Jul 8, 2026

Imine Metathesis by Silica-Supported Catalysts Using the Methodology of Surface Organometallic Chemistry
Published on: October 18, 2019
The catalytic acylcyanation of imines
Subhas Chandra Pan1, Benjamin List
1Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung, Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz 1, 45470 Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany.
Abstract:
The catalytic acylcyanation of aldimines with acylcyanides and a direct three-component variant involving the generation of an imine in situ have been developed. Furthermore, a highly enantioselective version has been established, culminating in the first organocatalytic asymmetric three-component Strecker reaction. Jacobsen thiourea catalysts were found to catalyze the reaction with excellent enantioselectivities, whereas binol phosphates (binol = 1,1'-bi-2,2'-naphthol) proved to be catalytically active but only modestly enantioselective. A large number of different substrates could be used in the processes described, thus illustrating the potential of our reaction for the generation of diversity within the attractive alpha-amino carbonyl framework. Furthermore, a novel cyclic amidine was obtained from the reaction of acetyl cyanide with ketimines.
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