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Updated: Oct 29, 2025

Synthesis of a Thiol Building Block for the Crystallization of a Semiconducting Gyroidal Metal-sulfur Framework
Published on: April 9, 2018
Programmed Formation of HCN Oligomers through Organosulfur Catalysis
Caroline Grundke1, Caleb Kong2, Christopher J Kampf1
1Department of Chemistry, Johannes Gutenberg University, Duesbergweg 10-14, 55128 Mainz, Germany.
Abstract:
An efficient, inexpensive, and reliable synthesis of diaminomaleonitrile (DAMN, 1) is described starting from readily available acetone cyanohydrin as the source of hydrogen cyanide (HCN). Diaminomaleonitrile (DAMN) is known to be an important intermediate in heterocyclic and medicinal chemistry as well as being a possible precursor for the origin of life's hypothesis within prebiotic chemistry. The mechanism of its formation through organosulfur catalysis has been investigated by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) using two newly synthesized cationic "marker" molecules as a tool that allows for sensitive detection. As a result, the proposed mechanism of a thiocyanate-mediated synthesis of the HCN tetramer DAMN starting from organic disulfides was confirmed.
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