Hemin-catalyzed controlled oxidative cyanation of secondary amine for the synthesis of α-aminonitriles and α-iminonitriles

Abstract

We report an efficient and controlled oxidative cyanation approach for the synthesis of α-aminonitriles and α-iminonitriles in MeOH using Hemin (1 mol %) as a nontoxic and natural catalyst under room temperature. This work is the first report on the incorporation of a natural iron porphyrin complex as a redox catalyst for the oxidation of secondary amines. The significant features of this biomimetic strategy for the preparation of α-aminonitriles and α-iminonitriles include the use of MeOH as green and attractive solvent in an organic reaction, the use of ethyl cyanoformate as a benign cyanide source due to its mild conditions, environmentally friendly, the use of a biodegradable catalyst, no moisture sensitivity, simple workup procedure, and controllable, which all together make the current method attractive for academic research as well as industrial applications.