Highly active bifunctional salenTi（Ⅳ） catalysts for asymmetric cyanosilylation of aldehydes and TMSCN

A novel enantiopure salen ligand bearing a diphenylphosphine oxide on the 3-position of one aromatic ring was synthesized and combined with Ti（Oi-Pr）_4 as a monometallic bifunctional catalyst for asymmetric cyanosilylation reaction of aldehydes with tnmethylsilyl cyanide（TMSCN）.The catalyst system exhibited excellent activity and moderate enantioselectivity.The addition of TMSCN to 4-nitrobenzaldehyde in the presence of 1 mol%catalyst loading could complete within 10 min at ambient temperature. An intramolecularly cooperative catalysis was observed in this system wherein the central metal Ti（Ⅳ） is suggested to play a role of Lewis acid to activate aldehydes while the appended diphenylphosphine oxide worked as Lewis base to activate TMSCN.