Cyanohydrins, formation by use

Cyanoanthracene, 50,55 p-Cyanobenzenesulfonamide, reduction with Raney nickel alloy to p-for-mylbenzenesulfonamide, 51,20 p-Cyano-N,N-diethylaniline, 50, S4 Cyanohydrins, formation by use of alkyl-aluminum cyanides, 52, 96... 

Cyanosilylation of ketones (4,542-543 5,720). In a total synthesis of natural camptothecin (9), Corey et al used this f-butyldimethylsilyl derivative rather than trimethylsilyl cyanide (5, 720-722) to effect cyanosilylation of a ketone (1). Hydrolysis of the resulting cyano silyl ether to the required amide was not accompanied by desilylation with reversal of cyanohydrin formation. By use of carefully controlled conditions and with dicyclohexyl-18-crown-6-potassium cyanide as catalyst, they were able to convert (1) into the a-hydroxy... 

Cyanohydrin formation is useful because of the further chemistry that can be carried out on the product. For example, a nitrile (R—C=N) can be reduced with UAIH4 to yield a primary amine (RCH2NH2) and can be hydrolyzed by hot... 

The reaction is used for the chain extension of aldoses in the synthesis of new or unusual sugars In this case the starting material l arabinose is an abundant natural product and possesses the correct configurations at its three chirality centers for elaboration to the relatively rare l enantiomers of glucose and mannose After cyanohydrin formation the cyano groups are converted to aldehyde functions by hydrogenation m aqueous solution Under these conditions —C=N is reduced to —CH=NH and hydrolyzes rapidly to —CH=0 Use of a poisoned palladium on barium sulfate catalyst prevents further reduction to the alditols... 

Semicarbazones can be prepared from 17-ketones by the conventional procedure. The formation of 17-cyanohydrins by exchange with acetone cyanohydrin and the use of this protective group has been already discussed (see section II-A-2). ... 

Aldehydes and unhindered ketones undergo a nucleophilic addition reaction with HCN to yield cyanohydrins, RCH(OH)C=N. Studies carried out in the early 1900s by Arthur Eapworth showed that cyanohydrin formation is reversible and base-catalyzed. Reaction occurs slowly when pure HCN is used but rapidly when a small amount of base is added to generate the nucleophilic cyanide ion, CN. Alternatively, a small amount of KCN can be added to HCN to catalyze the reaction. Addition of CN- takes place by a typical nucleophilic addition pathway, yielding a tetrahedral intermediate that is protonated by HCN to give cyanohydrin product plus regenerated CN-. 

Cyanohydrin formation is a useful synthetic reaction, in that it utilizes a simple reagent, cyanide, to create a new C-C bond. The cyano (nitrile) group may easily be modified to other functions, e.g. carboxylic acids via hydrolysis (see Box 7.9) or amines by reduction. 

The use of sodium amalgam originates with E. Fischer. The method was a cornerstone of his aldose homologation (cyanohydrin formation, hydrolysis, lactone formation and reduction) which was so important to the development of carbohydrate chemistry. Although the yields obtained by Fischer were moderate ca. 20-50%), more recent work by Sperber et al. has resulted in significant improvements. In particular, they discovered that control of the pH of the reaction mixture was very important. At pH 3-3.5, yields in the range 52-82% were obtained with a variety of aldonolactones. As an example, the preparation of arabinose is shown in equation (4). If the pH was allowed to rise, yields were lower due to overreduction. Methyl esters of aldonic acids could also be used as substrates. 

Enzyme-catalyzed reactions in this area include reaction with glycine catalyzed by L-threonine aldolase to afford 164 <2000SL1046> and the use of almond oxynitrilase to catalyze the formation of cyanohydrin 165 by reaction of 161 with acetone cyanohydrin <2001T2213>. 

Cyanohydrin formation from lactose was first described by Fischer in 1890 and later by Hann and Hudson,who used aqueous sodium cyanide in the presence of calcium chloride at 0°. After alkaline hydrolysis, 4-0- -D-galactopyranosyl-D- /j/cero-D- wfo-heptonic acid was crystallized in 26% yield. 

---