Direct conversion of chiral cyanohydrins to chiral nitrones by transimination

Abstract

A new method for the preparation of enantiomerically pure N-benzyl nitrones is described. By using either a one-pot reduction-transimination or a one-pot Grignard addition-transimination sequence chiral O-protected α-hydroxynitriles can be converted into chiral aldo- and ketonitrones, respectively.