CATALYST AND PROCESS FOR THE CYANATION OF ALDEHYDES

摘要

A vanadium catalyst and a process for cyanating an aldehyde are provided. The vanadium catalyst comprises a Vanadium(V) salen complex. The process comprises reacting the aldehyde with: i) a cyanide source which does not comprise a Si-CN bond or a C-(C=O)-CN moiety; and ii) a substrate susceptible to nucleophilic attack not comprising a halogen leaving group; in the presence of a chiral vanadium catalyst. The cyanide source is preferably an alkali metal cyanide and the substrate susceptible to nucleophilic attack not comprising a halogen leaving group is a carboxylic anhydride.