Tetrahedron

Phosphonium salt-catalysed synthesis of nitriles from in situ activated oximes

RM Denton, J An, P Lindovska, W Lewis

Index: Denton, Ross M.; An, Jie; Lindovska, Petra; Lewis, William Tetrahedron, 2012 , vol. 68, # 13 p. 2899 - 2905

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Citation Number: 37

Abstract

A metal-free catalytic method for the conversion of aromatic and aliphatic aldoximes to nitriles at room temperature using oxalyl chloride (1.2 equiv) in combination with 5 mol% of triphenylphosphine oxide is reported. Of the many potential pathways leading from oxime to nitrile a manifold involving chlorophosphonium salt-catalysed decomposition of oxime chlorooxalates formed in situ is shown to be operative.