A Selective and Mild Oxidation of Primary Amines to Nitriles with Trichloroisocyanuric Acid

Abstract

An efficient and highly selective method for the oxidative conversion of primary amines to the corresponding nitriles using trichloroisocyanuric acid in the presence of catalytic TEMPO under mild reaction conditions is described. Other functional groups such as C,C-double bonds, benzyloxy etc. were found to be unaffected under the reaction conditions. This procedure provides a new entry to the synthesis of various aliphatic, aromatic and heterocyclic nitriles in excellent yield.