title: Highly Enantioselective α-Cyanation with 4-Acetylphenyl Cyanate.
abstract: A highly effective asymmetric version of α-cyanation of β-keto esters and amides was developed with a Lewis-acid catalyst. Thus, by using 10 mol % of a tridentate bisoxazoline-zinc(II) complex as the catalyst, a series of chiral nitriles containing a quaternary carbon center were obtained in excellent enantioselectivities (up to 97 % enantiomeric excess) and up to 95 % yield in the presence of 4 Å molar sieve at room temperature. For the first time, mild and active 4-acetylphenyl cyanate was used instead of cyano-hyperiodinate as the cationic cyano source for catalytic asymmetric α-cyanation.
authors.affiliation: School of Chemical Engineering and the Environment, Beijing Institute of Technology, 5 South Zhongguancun Street, Haidian district, Beijing, 100081, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Jia-Shen
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.affiliation: School of Chemical Engineering and the Environment, Beijing Institute of Technology, 5 South Zhongguancun Street, Haidian district, Beijing, 100081, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Yao-Feng
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: School of Chemical Engineering and the Environment, Beijing Institute of Technology, 5 South Zhongguancun Street, Haidian district, Beijing, 100081, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Gui-Rong
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.affiliation: School of Chemical Engineering and the Environment, Beijing Institute of Technology, 5 South Zhongguancun Street, Haidian district, Beijing, 100081, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Pran G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Karmaker
authors.affiliation: School of Chemical Engineering and the Environment, Beijing Institute of Technology, 5 South Zhongguancun Street, Haidian district, Beijing, 100081, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Hong-Quan
authors.initials: HQ
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.affiliation: School of Chemical Engineering and the Environment, Beijing Institute of Technology, 5 South Zhongguancun Street, Haidian district, Beijing, 100081, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Fu-Xue
authors.initials: FX
authors.lastname: Chen
keywords: Lewis acids; asymmetric catalysis; cyanation; enantioselectivity; nitrile