Potassium tert-butoxide promoted a direct one-pot synthesis of nitriles from aldehydes at room temperature

Potassium tert-butoxide mediated a direct one-pot synthesis of diversely substituted nitriles from aldehydes via the sequential addition of hydroxylamine and benzoyl chloride is reported. A wide range of aromatic, heteroaromatic, and vinyl aldehydes were converted into corresponding nitriles in good to excellent yields. Room temperature reactions, transition metal-free conditions, wide functional group tolerance, simple operation, and short reaction time are the salient features of the developed methodology.