Erande, Rohan Diliprao

2025-06, Amar Nath Singh Chauhan, Parth Kumar Singh, Erande, Rohan Diliprao

Nitriles, oximes, and esters are crucial intermediates in organic synthesis, yet obtaining them from renewable feedstocks using simple, eco-friendly, and efficient systems remains challenging. We described a convenient, scalable and transition-metal free method for the direct oxidative conversion of aldehydes to nitriles and esters. This approach uses commercially available NH₂OH·HCl as a safe, non-toxic nitrogen source, thereby eliminating the need for external cyanide, and employs ethanol as a green solvent in combination with ultrasonication. The complete avoidance of toxic cyanide salts not only enhances the safety profile of the method but also aligns with green chemistry principles, making it highly attractive for sustainable synthesis. The dual advantage of developed strategy enables the selective formation of cyano and ester functionalities from the aldehyde via oxime intermediates (>70 examples; 55–95% yield). Moreover, the method demonstrates excellent efficiency on a larger scale, emphasizing its strong potential in organic synthesis. © 2025 Wiley-VCH GmbH.