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Updated: Nov 16, 2025

A Direct, Early Stage Guanidinylation Protocol for the Synthesis of Complex Aminoguanidine-containing Natural Products
Published on: September 9, 2016
Cyanation of glycine derivatives
Jia Liang1, Ying Fu, Xiazhen Bao
1Gansu International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Water-Retention Chemical Functional Materials, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730070, China. Huocongde1978@hotmail.com.
Abstract:
We report a catalytic oxidative C-H cyanation of glycine derivatives using a simple copper(i) catalyst with NFSI as an oxidant via a radical process to furnish α-cyano glycine derivatives, which are useful intermediates for organic synthesis. CuCl acted as both a one-electron reductant and a transition-metal catalyst in this transformation. NFSI served as a one-electron oxidant and generated a N-centered radical as a H-abstractor. The reaction displayed broad substrate scope and mild reaction conditions.
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