We thank Prof. Zheng Li of Northwestern Normal University (China) for his support
and celebrate his 60th birthday.
An efficient method for synthesizing β,γ-unsaturated α-aminonitriles via a one-pot
procedure using cinnamaldehydes, anilines and trimethylsilyl cyanide (TMSCN) as starting
materials under catalyst-free conditions is reported. This one-pot, three-component
reaction proceeds efficiently with a broad range of substrates and tolerates a wide
variety of functional groups. Notably, the process features a simple work-up procedure
and does not require transition-metal catalysts. Additionally, the reaction can be
performed on gram scale without loss of efficiency.
Key words
α-aminonitriles - trimethylsilyl cyanide - cyanide source - catalyst-free - cinnamaldehyde