Progress on the Asymmetric Silylcyanation of Aldehydes and Ketones

Abstract

The asymmetric cyanation of carbonyl compounds occupies a hot research topic in current catalytic chemistry. Optically pure cyanohydrins are important synthetic intermediates which can be easily transformed into optically pure com- pounds, including β-aminoalcohols, α-amino acids and α-hydroxy acids, thus exihibits fundermental utility in many natural products and chemical pharmacy synthesis. Presently, the asymmetric silylcyanation of trimethylsilyl cyanide with aldehydes and ketones represents a main approach for optically pure cyanohydrin synthesis. The complex of chiral ligand and Lewis acid is the key element that determines the efficiency and controls the stereochemisty of these reactions. This review briefly sum- marizes the development of asymmetric catalysis empolyed in the chiral cyanohydation of aldehydes and ketones using trime- thylsilyl cyanide as the cyanating agent. Keywords chiral catalysis; asymmetric silylcyanation; aldehyde and ketone; chiral ligand