title: Tropylium ion mediated α-cyanation of amines.
abstract: Tropylium ion mediated α-cyanation of amines is described. Even in the presence of KCN, tropylium ion is capable of oxidizing various amine substrates, and the resulting iminium ions undergo salt metathesis with cyanide ion to produce aminonitriles. The byproducts of this transformation are simply cycloheptatriene, a volatile hydrocarbon, and water-soluble potassium tetrafluoroborate. Thirteen total substrates are shown for the α-cyanation procedure, including a gram scale synthesis of 17β-cyanosparteine. In addition, a tropylium ion mediated oxidative aza-Cope rearrangement is demonstrated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, United States.
authors.forename: Julia M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.forename: Tristan H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Lambert
mesh_terms: D000588:Amines / Q000737:chemistry*; D003508:Cycloheptanes / Q000737:chemistry*; D007202:Indicators and Reagents / Q000737:chemistry; D009570:Nitriles / Q000737:chemistry*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction
chemical_list: D000588:Amines; D003508:Cycloheptanes; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D009570:Nitriles; C430852:tropylium