Dual promiscuous racemization/amidation activities of lipases leading to efficient dynamic kinetic resolution protocols of racemic α-aminonitrile compounds are described. α-Amidonitrile products of high enantiomeric purity could be formed in high yields. Several lipases from different sources were shown to exhibit the dual catalytic activities, where opposite enantioselectivities could be recor...

We describe an oxidative Strecker reaction that allows for direct cyanation of para-methoxyphenyl (PMP)-protected primary amines. A vanadium(V) complex was used as the catalyst and TBHP as the oxidant. The cyanation occurs at the α-C position bearing either an alkyl or an aromatic group. This method provides a direct access to α-aminonitrile from amines with one-carbon extension.

The Strecker reaction of acetaldehyde, NH3, and HCN to afford alanine was studied by DFT calculations for the first time, which involves two reaction stages. In the first reaction stage, the aminonitrile was formed. The rate-determining step is the deprotonation of the NH3 (+) group in MeCH(OH)-NH3 (+) to form 1-aminoethanol, which occurs with an activation energy barrier (ΔE (≠)) of 9.6 kcal/m...

Reaction of heteroaromatic o-aminonitrile with ethyl N-[bis(methylthio)methylene]amino acetate resulted in annelation of a thieno[3,2-e]imidazo[1,2-c]pyrimidine moiety in a one step process. [1,2,4]Triazolo[4,3-c]thieno- [3,2-e]pyrimidine derivatives were prepared by initial treatment of o-aminonitrile with carbon disulfide, followed by methylation with methyl iodide and subsequent reaction wit...

o-Aminonitrile or o-aminoester compounds were cyclized to fused pyrimidines by reacting with ethyl iso(thio)cyanatoacetate in pyridine, and then were methylated, halogenated and subsequently displaced by the amines studied.

Under controlled conditions, 6,7-dimethoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline-1-carbonitrile can be quantitatively deprotonated in the α-position. Its alkylation directly furnishes 3,4-dihydroisoquinolines which can serve as starting materials for the preparation of various alkaloids. Here, the preparation of the benzylisoquinolines (+)-laudanidine, (+)-armepavine, and (+)-laudanosine as well as th...

The asymmetric synthesis of the new lignan cubebin dimethyl ether was accomplished in eight steps with an overall yield of 40 %. In addition, the known lignans (+)-hinokinin and (+)-dihydrocubebin were synthesized by this route. Our approach involves the highly diastereoselective and enantioselective (de ≥ 98%, ee ≥ 98%) construction of a trans-substituted 2,3dibenzylbutyrolactone through an as...