Previous attempts to hydrolyze 2, 2-diphenyl-5-cyanocyclopentanoneimine (Ia, 2-amino-1- cyano-3, 3-diphenylcyclopentene) to 2, 2-dipheny1-5-cyanocyclo-pentanone (Ib) were unsuc~ essful.~~~ The products isolated were the corresponding iminoamide, ketoamide, or decarboxylated ketone. Thus, the normally observed preferential hydrolysis of ketimine before nitrile was reversed in this case. The steric hindrance of the gem phenyl groups ...
