Iodine as novel reagent for the 1,2-addition of trimethylsilyl cyanide to ketones including α,β-unsaturated ketones

Molecular iodine is found to catalyze efficiently the addition of trimethylsilyl cyanide to a range of simple and functionalized ketones under very mild and convenient conditions to afford the corresponding cyanohydrin trimethylsilyl ethers in excellent yields in a short reaction period with high selectivity. α,β-Unsaturated ketones selectively afford the corresponding 1,2-adducts without the formation of 1,4-adducts under similar reaction conditions.