aLaboratoire de Synthèse Organique Asymétrique et Catalyse Homogène (01 UR 1201), Faculté des Sciences de Monastir, Avenue de l'Environnement, 5019 Monastir, Tunisia
Abstract:
New enantiomerically pure N-methyl-N-arylsulfonyl-α-aminonitriles were prepared starting from the corresponding α-amino acids by way of N-methyl-N-arylsulfonyl-α-amino amides. The key step of this sequence consists of the dehydration of amides by thionyl chloride which proceeded without a significant racemization. Enantiomeric purity of nitriles was determined by HPLC analysis.