The asymmetric addition of trimethylsilylcyanide to aldehydes catalysed by anionic chiral nucleophiles. Part 2

Studies have been carried out on the addition of trimethylsilylcyanide to aldehydes using highly active chiral lithium phenolate catalysts. The screening of a number of chiral phenolates has resulted in a system which gives the TMS ethers of cyanohydrins in excellent chemical yields with enantiomeric excesses of up to 97%.