In the presence of triethylsilyl trifluoromethanesulfonate and triethylamine, aliphatic nitriles undergo addition reactions with aldonitrones under non-basic, mild conditions, providing O-triethylsilyl ethers of β-N-hydroxyamino nitriles with high yield. The reaction appears to proceed through formation of an N-silyl ketene imine in situ followed by a Mannich-type reaction.
Key words
nucleophilic addition - nitriles - nitrones - amines - hydroxylamine