Enantioselective Strecker reaction promoted by chiral N-oxides

The asymmetric Strecker reaction of aldimines and trimethylsilyl cyanide promoted by 1 equivalent of chiral N-oxide affords the corresponding α-amino nitriles with enantioselectivities of up to 73% most effectively for electron-deficient aldimines under mild reaction conditions. Two new resolving methods and one new synthetic methodology were developed to obtain three novel chiral N-oxides.