Activation of trimethylsilyl cyanide by potassium phthalimide for facile synthesis of TMS-protected cyanohydrins

Potassium phthalimide was found to be a highly effective and easily accessible organocatalyst for the cyanosilylation of various carbonyl compounds under extremely mild conditions. The corresponding cyanohydrin trimethylsilyl ethers were obtained in high to quantitative yields in solvent-free conditions at room temperature using 2.5 mol% catalyst loading.