Here we report an environmentally benign and cost-efficient synthesis of nitriles from the direct oxidative cyanation of primary carbon-hydrogen bonds with easily available molecular oxygen and urea.

The high efficiency of this catalytic system is demonstrated in the asymmetric cyanation of isatin-derived ketimines and azomethine aldimines as well as in the kinetic resolution of racemic 3 ...

A cost-effective route to the antimalarial drug artemisinin, and a biocatalytic route for aromatic nitration reactions are some recent developments. Enantioselective imine-cyanation/Strecker reaction.