Catalysis of aldehyde and imine silylcyanation by platinum and palladium NCN-pincer complexes

The room temperature addition of trimethylsilylcyanide to aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes to give the corresponding cyanohydrins is efficiently catalysed by 1 mol% of ((2,6-bis(N-cyclohexyl)imino)phenyl)aquoplatinum(II) trifluoromethanesulfonate 1a. This methodology is also applicable to the addition of trimethylsilylcyanide to Schiff bases resulting in the formation of α-amino nitriles.