Dodecatungestophosphoric acid (H3PW12O40) as a solid green BrØnsted acid catalyzes high yielding and efficient trimethylcyanosylilation reactions of aldehydes and ketones by trimethylsilyl cyanide

An efficient solvent-free method is described for the addition of TMSCN to carbonyl groups employing dodecatungestophosphoric acid (H3PW12O40) as a heterogeneous and environmentally benign catalyst. By this method, aromatic, aliphatic, cyclic and heterocyclic aldehydes and ketones are converted into their corresponding cyanotrimethylsilyl ethers in excellent yields (89–98%) in short reaction times (<10 min).