Ureidopeptide-based Brønsted bases: design, synthesis and application to the catalytic enantioselective synthesis of β-amino nitriles from (arylsulfonyl)acetonitriles.

The addition of cyanoalkyl moieties to imines is a very attractive method for the preparation of β-amino nitriles. We present a highly efficient organocatalytic methodology for the stereoselective synthesis of β-amino nitriles, in which the key to success is the use of ureidopeptide-based Brønsted base catalysts in combination with (arylsulfonyl)acetonitriles as synthetic equivalents of the acetonitrile anion. The method gives access to a variety of β-amino nitriles with good yields and excellent enantioselectivities, and broadens the stereoselective Mannich-type methodologies available for their synthesis.