PAPER	Synthesis 2007: 215-218   DOI: 10.1055/s-2006-958942
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York
Niobium Fluoride (NbF5): A Highly Efficient Catalyst for Solvent-Free Cyanosilylation of Aldehydes
Sung Soo Kim*, Gurusamy Rajagopal
Department of Chemistry, Inha University, Incheon 402-751, South Korea Fax: +82(32)8675604; e-Mail: sungsoo@inha.ac.kr;
Received 11 September 2006

Abstract

An efficient method for the addition of trimethylsilylcyanide (TMSCN) to aldehydes using dispersed NbF₅ as the catalyst is described. Cyano transfer from TMSCN to aldehydes occurs within 10 minutes at room temperature in the presence of 0.5 mol% of NbF₅ under solvent-free conditions giving cyanohydrins in excellent yields of over 95%. These conditions are extremely mild, simple and tolerate various functional groups.

Key words

aldehydes - catalysis - green chemistry - cyanohydrins - solvent-free