A Mild Synthetic Protocol for Conversion of Aldehydes to Nitriles Using a Copper Catalyst and LiHMDS as the Nitrogen Source

Interconversion of functional groups in organic chemistry is a key task. Here we have developed an oxidative transformation of aldehydes to nitriles using lithium bis(trimethylsilyl)amide as a nitrogen source and copper iodide as an inexpensive catalyst under aerobic and ligand free conditions. The reaction proceeds in 23-98% yield (median of 78%), tolerating various functional groups (22 examples). Furthermore, the reaction was easily scaled to 25 mmol (3.2 g of nitrile product), potentially making it relevant for industry applications.