Asymmetric Synthesis of β‐Amino Nitriles through a Sc^III‐Catalyzed Three‐Component Mannich Reaction of Silyl Ketene Imines

Abstract

A range of β-amino nitriles containing contiguous tertiary and quaternary stereogenic carbon centers were synthesized by using the title reaction. The reaction was catalyzed by a chiral N,N′-dioxide scandium(III) complex under mild reaction conditions. Based on experimental investigations, a possible transition state has been proposed to explain the origin of asymmetric inductivity.