Novel and green protocol for the synthesis of 2-iminohydantoins

A novel and green protocol for the synthesis of N-1 and C-5 substituted 2-iminohydantoins has been developed. Methyl N-cyano-N-alkyl/aryl-aminoacetate reacts with aqueous ammonia at room temperature in 10–30 min. The developed protocol does not require any work-up for the isolation or purification of the products; simple filtration can lead to the pure products in good to excellent yields.