-Hydroxy nitriles are known as useful building blocks since they may readily be converted to -hydroxycarboxylic acids or -amino alcohols.1 In general, -hydroxy nitriles are prepared by the condensation of carbonyl compounds with alkali acetonitriles that are formed by -deprotonation of nitriles.2 However, the yields of this condensation are not always satisfac- tory because this reaction is a reversible one, and the produced -hydroxy nitrile is dehydrated easily to ...